


Toe to Toe

by asamakorra



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra, The Legend of Korra - Fandom
Genre: Alcohol, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - College/University, Angst, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Bisexuality, Break Up, Brotherly Love, Cheating, Coming of Age, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Enemies to Lovers, F/F, F/M, Falling In Love, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Friends With Benefits, Friends to Lovers, Friendship/Love, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Cheating, LGBTQ Character, LGBTQ Themes, Loss of Virginity, Lovers to Friends, M/M, Multi, Mutual Pining, Oral Sex, Other, Out of Character, Platonic Soulmates, Post-Break Up, Queer Themes, References to Drugs, Semi-Public Sex, Sex, Slow Burn, Smut, Unreliable Narrator, Unrequited Love, Virginity
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-27
Updated: 2021-03-09
Packaged: 2021-03-10 23:53:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 20
Words: 51,094
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28355748
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/asamakorra/pseuds/asamakorra
Summary: It’s Mako. Her team mate, her confidant, her best friend that she’s hopelessly in love with. But what happens when Korra meets Mako’s beautiful girlfriend Asami? Set in the college years, Korra must balance her budding athletic career with personal relationships she develops throughout her time in Republic City.
Relationships: Bolin & Korra (Avatar), Bolin & Mako (Avatar), Bolin/Korra (Avatar), Bolin/Opal (Avatar), Korra & Opal (Avatar), Korra/Asami Sato, Korra/Mako (Avatar), Korra/Tahno (Avatar), Mako/Asami Sato
Comments: 193
Kudos: 158





	1. Chapter 1

Aching. Her body ached with every breath, and her mind pounded as she tried over and over again to refocus on her homework. What had professor Tenzin said about the nervous system? Would it be on the test?

“Excuse me, is this seat taken?” a soft voice behind her broke Korra out of her trance, and she tilted her head towards the sound, taking out one of her airpods.

“Oh,” she mumbled, lifting her head out of her hand. “Nope, it’s all you.” She looked up to see who the voice belonged to, shifting her legs to half-cross in the uncomfortably hard library desk chair. Her mind and body were begging to rest if only she could finish her overwhelmingly difficult anatomy homework. She had stopped in the library-hoping the quiet would make her focus-with no such luck.

“Thanks!” the owner of the voice, a captivatingly beautiful woman, slid gracefully into the chair next to Korra, setting her expensive handbag down on the desk in front of her and rifling through it. Korra peeked over into the bag, watching as the woman sifted through random items before finding a tube of lipstick. Rolling her eyes, Korra stuck the airpod back into her ear and restarted the song she hadn’t been paying attention to, adjusting in her seat again. She leaned forward, attempting to refocus from the mental detour of her daydream and get her brain back on her homework, but the constant movement of the girl that occupied the seat beside her was making it impossible. 

The woman, with her long painted nails clacking away on the keyboard of her phone and her thick, curly hair swishing side to side as she tossed it about, was louder than Korra’s quiet headphones. She turned up the volume a few notches, shaking her head slightly again to clear it.

_ What a priss,  _ Korra thought to herself, twiddling her pen between her thumbs as she watched the girl check her makeup in a compact mirror before reaching into her bag and pulling out her day planner.

“Excuse me,” the girl suddenly turned to face her. Korra removed her airpod once more, catching the girl's chartreuse eyes in a silent prompt to continue. “Sorry to bother you, but I was just wondering if you could tell me where you got your backpack? It’s so cute.” She pointed her well manicured hand to the beat up bag on the floor, a once blue laptop bag with cartoon polar bears stretched across, now dirtied almost to the point beyond recognition. 

“Oh, um...I got it on Amazon,” Korra muttered, blushing in embarrassment at the rattiness of it.

“The polar bears are adorable.” The woman flipped open her dayplanner and scribbled something in it. “I’m Asami, by the way. You’re Korra, aren’t you?” She grinned politely, swishing her hair back behind her shoulder and extending her hand. Korra quickly paused her music and removed both of her ear buds, shifting them to one hand and weakly grasping Asami’s with her free one. Asami gave it a firm shake and smiled politely again.

“Oh, um yeah.” The other said shyly, placing the headphones back into their case. 

“It’s nice to meet you! You won all of those MMA awards for our school, right? What’s your major?” Asami’s smooth voice fell on deaf ears as Korra looked at her. This girl was a head turner: flawless pale skin and bright green eyes, expertly applied makeup and styled hair. Not to mention her fashionable co-ords, which Korra estimated to be worth more than a semester's tuition from the brand logo she spotted on the side of the girl’s leg.

“What? Sorry,” she snapped out of her daze.

“I asked what your major was,” She said with a knowing smile. Korra was sure that Asami knew she was staring. 

_ She’s probably used to it, being so beautiful. _

“Um...exercise physiology. You?” Korra knew she was being short, but Asami’s intimidating beauty and general nicety made her a strange mix of nervous and jealous. Although grateful for the distraction, she really should’ve been doing her homework.

“Wow, that sounds really interesting. I’m doing mechanical engineering. So do you have to work out a lot?” Asami asked, responding to a message on her phone. 

_ Mechanical Engineering? So she has beauty and brains...damn.... _

“Mhm. So... how do you know about me? Do you go to the matches or something?”

“Oh! it’s actually because I’m a huge fan of MMA fighting!” Asami said excitedly. “The pro’s are already pointing to you as the next big thing. Plus, my boyfriend is on the team with you.”

“Oh yeah? Who’s that?” Korra asked, ignoring everything else the other had said.

_ Please don’t say Mako, please don’t say Mako, please don’t say Mako. _

“Mako!”  _ of course.  _

Mako: captain of Republic City University’s taekwondo team and Korra’s longtime one-sided crush. She didn’t know that he had a full on girlfriend, but looking back on every time they had seemed to take a step in the right direction- and Mako pulling back or stopping before things could start- was beginning to come together in her brain.

“Oh yeah, we’re pals.” Korra forced a grin, her heart dropping knowing she hadn’t been worth mentioning. 

_ He had a full on girlfriend and hadn’t bothered to mention it? _

“Mako talks about you all the time,” Asami said casually, clacking away on her phone.

_ oh? _

“Oh, yeah?” Korra tried to hide her excitement at the girl’s words. Asami merely nodded, apparently oblivious.

“Mhm! I bet you guys will go pro together. Oh sorry,” a call from Mako popped up on her phone. Korra leaned back in her chair.

“Speak of the devil,” Korra mumbled, pulling at her right ponytail anxiously.

“Sweetie, I can’t really talk right now, I’m at the library. But you’ll never guess who I just ran into!...Haha how’d you know?” Asami flashed Korra a kind smile, which she returned with unease. “Oh she does? Haha. Oh yeah, good idea. Okay. I’ll talk to you later. Okay. Bye, sweetie.” She clicked her phone off, glancing at Korra through her thick lashes. “Well, I gotta go meet my study group. It was super nice to meet you, Korra! I’m sure I’ll be seeing you around.” She stood up and gathered her things.

“Oh, um...yeah! It was very nice to meet you, Asami.” Korra’s flustered voice choked out. Asami flashed her a kind smile and a cute wave as she walked away, her designer handbag delicately grasped with one hand and her phone in the other.

Korra breathed out heavily, watching until the girl disappeared around the corner. Of course. Of course Mako would go for the prissy, elegant rich girl instead of the rough-around-the-edges hothead on his sports team. Suddenly, her phone buzzed with a notification from Snapchat. 

**Bolin my bitch is typing…**

**New Message**

**Bolin my bitch**

Wanna hit up Narook’s? I’m craving noodles :3

Now that he mentioned it, Korra was pretty hungry. Her homework would just have to wait. 

**Who else?**

She replied.

**Bolin my bitch is typing…**

**New Message**

**Bolin my bitch**

Just us :) M is busy.

She replied that she would be there soon and jammed all of her things into her bag. She had known Mako would obviously be busy, but she was hoping at least one other person would be there, feeling awkward at the thought of hanging out with her friend alone over dinner.

Nevertheless, she trudged down the street, watching the sun set peacefully as she made her way to Little Water Tribe Village. Lost in thought once again, she almost didn’t notice when her phone buzzed rapidly a few times in a row.

**_Instagram_ **

**_@asamisato started following you_ **

**_@asamisato wants to send you a message_ **

Curiously, Korra tapped on her profile. Asami had cultivated an overwhelming amount of followers with an impeccable feed; cohesive photos of various trips, restaurants and charity events she had been to. Korra quickly followed her back and continued to scroll through the posts, before landing on one of Asami and an older man cutting a red ribbon together at some sort of event.

“Oh my spirits…” the realization finally hit her. Asami Sato. Her dad was Hiroshi Sato, the owner of Future Industries. She was an  _ heiress.  _

If there was still any hope of somehow stealing Mako away from her, they were dashed immediately. Korra wanted to cry; her pipe dream of Mako eventually reciprocating her feelings officially dead.

**@asamisato: Hey Korra! It was really great to finally meet you today. I’m throwing a little get together at my penthouse on friday and I’d love it if you could make it!**

Korra thought carefully as she typed out her reply. Was Asami seeing her as some sort of threat or competition she needed to scope out?  _ Let me not get ahead of myself. She’s probably just making an effort to get to know Mako’s friends. She doesn’t know I like him. _

**@Korrathelegend: Hey Asami! That sounds dope. Thanks for the invite! I’ll see if I can!**

The setting sun cast a warm glow over the cityscape, and the evening lights began to turn on as Korra rounded the last corner to the restaurant. She let out a deep breath, pushing through the noren at the restaurant opening, and was delighted to see that Bolin had her order ready for her when she practically fell into her seat. 

“Thank youuuuu…” she practically sang, snapping her chopsticks apart and shoving as many noodles as she could into one mouthful. 

“Did you finish your anatomy homework?” Bolin asked cheerfully, poking at a piece of seal jerky at the edge of his bowl.

“No,” Korra gulped. “My brain was melting out of my ears. But holy light spirit you will not believe who I met today.”

“Who who who!” Bolin said excitedly.

“Asami fuckin’ Sato! I didn’t know Mako was officially seeing anyone, let alone an heiress!” she shoved another bundle of noodles into her mouth. She wanted to frame the information as casual, her desire for any knowledge Bolin had on the subject masquerading as mild curiosity.

“Oh yeah, did he not mention it? Asami is great. She’s so pretty, and nice, and charitable, and-” Korra frowned as she usually did when Bolin went off on one of his tangents. Noticing his faux pas, he snapped his mouth closed and blushed. “I think Mako told her to-”

“Can we get some more dumplings over here?” Korra yelled to the bar, a waiter catching her eye and nodding.

“-invite you to her house party.” Bolin finished, watching uneasily as Korra scarfed down the last of the dumplings as the waiter brought another plate. “Are you...okay?” He asked, cocking his head to the side.

“Yep! Just super hungry!” she nodded, chugging half of her mug of beer. “How kind of him,” she muttered quietly.

“Anyways, are you going? I was thinking maybe we could-” 

“Oh fud.” Korra’s cursing was muffled by the food in her mouth that she struggled to swallow as an unwelcome, yet familiar face began to stroll over to their table, dramatically flailing his arms outward. His friends stood up from the table with him, stopping directly in front of Korra’s frowning face. 

“I thought I smelled something,” Korra groaned, shoving another dumpling into her mouth.

“Nice to see you too, Korra. Still stuffing your face?” One of the girls that stood further back sneered.

“I sure am, Ga Eun!” Korra replied to the snarky comment with a large fake smile before washing it down with another swig of her beer. “You don’t get muscles like these without eating a LOT.” She grinned cheerfully, shoving another bite of her meal into her mouth and chomping loudly. Ga Eun turned away in disgust, rolling her eyes and checking her phone disinterestedly.

“Relax, Korra. We just came over to say hello.” A sultry voice slithered out.

“Hi Tahno,” Korra replied, unamused. “Bye, Tahno.”

“Don’t be so mean... “ He pouted dramatically, flipping his curls out of his face. “I just wanted to see if you still wanted those...private lessons...you know, like before.” His voice dripped down his lips like poison, and Korra’s skin crawled at the idea.

“Um...I think she’s good, bro,” Bolin chimed in, disturbed by Tahno’s boldness. Tahno merely scoffed, barely acknowledging Bolin’s existence as he waited expectantly for Korra’s reply. 

“Like I said last time, pretty boy. I need someone that can last…” she paused to slurp a noodle. “Longer than that in ‘practice,” she bent her fingers in quotations. “Capiche?” she shoved a dumpling in her mouth and grinned. Tahno’s lips curved into a snarl and his sallow skin darkened in embarrassment. 

“Whatever, bitch.” he turned around dramatically and his gaggle of friends followed closely behind, muttering insults directed towards Korra under their breaths. 

“Later, Tahno!” she mocked, waggling her fingers as they exited the restaurant. 

“Who was that?” Bolin whisper-shouted. 

“He’s nobody. Just forget it,” Korra muttered, finishing her bowl. Bolin decided it was better to not press the subject, although he had a pretty good idea what had happened between them.


	2. Chapter 2

“Should we catch a taxi?” He asked, handing Korra her gym bag as he waited for her to slip her coat back on. 

“It’s cool. I like the walk.” She waved him off, checking her phone. 

**Instagram**

**@asamisato: awesome :) I really hope you can come. I’d like us to be friends :)**

“Hang on, is that very safe? I don’t want you walking home alone this late.” Bolin protested, slipping his winter gloves on. Korra could barely hear him as she mulled over Asami’s message. She wanted to be friends? Clearly she was marking some sort of territory with Mako. But she had seemed genuinely nice in person. Maybe she was just making an effort to get to know her boyfriends friends? They stepped out onto the street in front of the restaurant, the dim glow of the late evening stores illuminating the street as gaggles of college students walked around.

“I can take care of myself, Bolin. Quit worrying.” She reassured him bluntly. 

“...I-I know you can take care of yourself...I just…” Bolin turned away from her, his cheeks blushing red. “Worry about you, sometimes.” This piqued Korras interest, and she peered at him from over her phone. Cocking her head to the side in slight curiosity, she decided to leave his words at that. Her mind was far too preoccupied with other matters than to give Bolin’s words any more weight. 

“Well, I’ll see you later,” she waved, turning slightly before Bolin pulled her into a tight hug. Korra awkwardly patted his back, surprised by the fierceness of the embrace. Sure, she and Bolin were close, and of course they hugged on occasion, but this embrace felt different on Bolins end. She wasn’t sure what to make of it. 

“Text me when you get home, okay?” Bolin asked her, waving as she turned to go the opposite direction.

_ What the hell was that?  _ She thought to herself, shaking her head to physically clear the thoughts from her brain. She walked slowly, gym bag constantly slipping down her shoulder as she tried to figure out how to respond to Asami’s message. Should she even open it? 

**_I’d like us to be friends :)_ **

Korra wasn’t sure if she wanted the same thing. Theoretically, Asami was her love rival. And even though she knew next to nothing about the girl, there was something nagging in the back of her brain that made her want to get to know her, not just as Mako’s girlfriend. 

**@Korrathelegend: I’d like that too! Maybe we can grab some tea sometime?**

Almost immediately, she saw Asami was typing to reply. 

**@asamisato: I’d love that! :)**

Korra breathed a sigh of relief that her response seemed to be the right one as she turned the corner. She breathed deeply, the crispy air hitting her lungs and chilling her insides, and she instantly wished she’d worn a bigger coat. 

* * *

“Hey girl hey!” Korra’s roommate greeted her as she unlocked the apartment door. 

“Whaddup Opal,” she grinned, plopping down next to her on the couch. 

“Just catching up on some L _ ove Air Temple island _ . Air nomads are surprisingly wild,” she mused, offering Korra a piece of the dried seaweed she was snacking on. Korra declined, taking her water bottle out of her gym bag and sipping it slowly. “Did you just get back from the gym?” 

“Nah, grabbed a late dinner with Bo.” Korra replied, scrolling mindlessly through her phone.

“Oh?” She felt her roommate tense slightly, attempting to play off her curiosity. 

“Opal, if you want me to hook you guys up, you need only ask.” Korra teased, watching her friends face turn a deep red. 

“S-shut up! He’d never go for me anyways…” she trailed off, munching anxiously on another piece of her snack.

“That’s bull and you know it. You’re way out of his league.” She clicked her phone off And went to chuck her gym bag into her room. “Naga? Here girl!” She patted her legs, waiting for her pet to come trotting out of her room, having woken from her nap.

“Do you really think so?” Opal paused her tv show and turned to face her roommate, leaning up on the back of the couch. 

“Obviously.” Korra rolled her eyes like it was the most obvious thing in the world, scratching the back of naga’s ears. “Oh dude, I gotta tell you what happened today,” Korra muttered, walking over to the kitchen. Her loyal pet trailed behind her, hoping a treat was in her near future. 

“I met Mako’s girlfriend today.” She reached for the tin on top of the fridge and pulled a dog biscuit out. 

“No shit?” Opal asked curiously, dropping her head into her hand.

“Mhmmmhm! And guess who it is?” Opal waited for her to continue, watching her feed Naga the treat.

“Asami SATO!” 

“Seriously?” Opal covered her mouth with both hands. “He must be securing the bag.” Korra let out a quick laugh. 

“She’s actually really nice.” She scratched Naga’s head. “ I met her briefly today. It was kinda sus though. She sort of acted like she didn’t know who I was when she introduced herself and then she insinuated that she’s a fan of mine.” Opals lips parted slightly in curiosity.

“And  _ then  _ she told me that Mako talks about me all the time, and that she’s his girlfriend!”

“What the hell?” Opal said incredulously.

“Oh!” Korra suddenly had an idea, standing up straight from Naga munching happily on her treat. “She invited me to her house party this weekend! We should go and then you can try getting with Bolin!” Opal turned away from her quickly, blushing again. 

“We can get all dressed up and shit,” Korra grinned, walking back over to the couch. 

“A house party? Do you really want to go to that? Won’t it be uncomfortable for you?” 

“Nah, I’ll be fine. I don’t wanna be rude. She said she wants to be my friend and stuff,” Korra said carefully, unrelenting in her true intention: checking up on Mako. 

“Oh spirits! I wonder if she feels threatened by you? Do you think Mako talks about you a lot?” Opal asked excitedly. 

“Ahh, who knows. But like I said, she seems super nice. Mako and Bolin’l be there, and it’s bound to be a dope ass party, regardless. It’s not like I have to hang around them the entire time.” Korra was suddenly getting excited about the prospect of meeting and mingling with new people, new boys or girls to flaunt around with.

“Okay okay! Oh spirits what do I wear?” Opal squealed, jumping up from the couch and running into her room, nearly tripling over Naga in the process.

“It’s not till this weekend, airhead!” Korra teased, pulling her homework out of her bag and clicking the tv off. She’d be damned if she didn’t finish this assignment before hitting the sack.


	3. Chapter 3

Korra forced her eyes open, clicking snooze on her phone alarm and squinting painfully at the brightness of her phone. The sun wasn’t even up yet, but she had to be at morning conditioning in 20 minutes. Quickly, she brushed her teeth and slapped on some work out clothes, an energy bar between her teeth as she raced out the door. When she arrived at the gym, yawning deeply at the sight of her sleepy eyed teammates, she scanned the room for her captain, swallowing the last bite of her breakfast. Mako was wide awake per usual, carefully doing his full body stretches in preparation for the weights he was going to lift. 

“Hey, Korra,” he greeted her warmly, an acknowledging nod directed towards her as she yawned again. “Slow start this morning?”

“Ughhhh,” was all she managed to respond as she sunk down next to him, her gym back smacking against the floor loudly as some of the teammates turned to face the source of the noise. She lazily positioned herself into the splits, stretching her arms out over to touch her feet. “Where’s Bolin?” She asked.

“Bathroom,” Mako replied, going down into a swan dive and exhaling deeply. Korra peered at him from the corner of her eye, watching as Mako’s muscles flexed into his stretches. If she was lucky, the running portion of his morning workout would be completed shirtless. “So…” he said awkwardly, and Korra knew exactly where the conversation was headed. 

“So.” She replied, standing up and kicking a leg up in front of her. She balanced on one leg steadily and pulled the other up toward her head. 

“You met Asami.”  _ Typical Mako, trying to make me do all the work. _

“Yep. Thanks for telling me you had a whole ass girlfriend, by the way.”

“Korra-“ he began, just as Bolin burst through the doors a few yards away from them. He instantly perked up realizing Korra was there. 

“Hey, Korra!! Good morning!!” He said cheerfully, taking a spot a bit too close to her to stretch his arms.

“Imma need you to tone the energy down. It’s too early for that.” Korra groaned, swinging her arms back and forth.

“Sorry,” Bolin whispered.

“The morning is so evil. Why does Mako make us practice so early.” She shot him daggers as Mako took the opportunity to slip away from the uncomfortable confrontation to begin his workout on a machine. 

“So we don’t have to fight other students for the equipment,” Bolin replied, stretching forward to touch his toes. 

“Yeah yeah, logic.” Korra groaned again, grabbing a hair tie to pull her hair up into a pony tail. She took the opportunity to check her notifications from when she had slept, grateful there hadn’t been many to deal with.

“I wanna invite my roommate to the party. Should I ask Asami if that’s okay or do you think it’s fine?” She turned to ask Bolin.

“It’s probably fine. She’s pretty go with the flow. But, umm…” Bolin stopped stretching to look at her. Korra tapped away at her phone, responding to a meme that her “little sister” Jinora had sent her. “I was thinking maybe we could go together?” Bolin asked carefully. 

“Hmm?” Korra asked, paying only half attention to her friend's words as she giggled internally at the picture Jinora sent her.

“You know, like a d-“

“ALRIGHT EVERYBODY LISTEN UP!!” Mako interrupted, gathering everyone’s attention. “WE ALL NEED TO BE IN TIP TOP SHAPE THIS YEAR IF WE WANNA MAKE IT TO STATE, SO I WANNA SEE EVERYONE PUTTING IN 110% EVERY. SINGLE. DAY.”

Korra slipped her phone into the pocket of her tight spandex, ignoring Mako’s booming voice, and unzipped her jacket, revealing a navy sports bra. She pulled at her pony tail to tighten it, slipped her AirPods on and made her way to the dumb bell rack, forgetting to let Bolin finish his proposal. 

“Okay, yeah, it’s cool. Talk to you...later…” Bolin trailed off, watching as Korra began her squats set. Bolin had a perfectly good view of her ass, but tore his eyes away in fear of being caught gawking. 

Korra mindlessly droned through her set, trying not to think about how frustrating the situation with Mako was quickly becoming. Why would he hide the fact that he had a girlfriend from her? Did that mean something? Or was he simply trying to avoid the topic because Korra had embarrassed herself so many times before, and he wanted to spare her another rejection? The anxiety of so many possibilities tore her up inside as she finished her final set, the weight of the equipment suddenly becoming too much. She stood up, a sweat finally breaking on her brow as she bent down to retrieve her water bottle. 

“Korra,” she heard faintly through the noise of her music. She lifted her phone and paused the sound, turning to see Mako standing in front of her, his eyes falling to her chest and back up again quickly, though not fast enough for her to not notice.

“Hmm?” she put a hand on her hip, trying her best to seem casual. 

“We should... talk. Wanna get breakfast with me?” His arm stretched awkwardly behind his head and a shy smile on his lips. 

“Oh...um…” She scratched the back of her neck. 

“Please?” he begged, a small pout forming on his lips. He knew exactly how to get Korra to do his bidding.

“Okay,” she relented, an uncharacteristically shy smile forming.

The sun was now all the way up, warming their skin as she slung her gym back into the back of Mako’s car. They drove in silence, Korra used to his awkwardness and the air heavy around them. Mako reached over to grab her hand and squeezed it, glancing over at her and flashing an attempt at a reassuring smile, which only made Korra more nervous. They reached the restaurant, Mako opening doors and pulling out chairs like the gentleman he was. If Korra didn’t know any better it would’ve looked and felt like a date.

“Maybe I should’ve changed, first,” Korra chuckled awkwardly, realizing her spandex and sports bra had left her slightly exposed as a man sitting alone across the restaurant looked at her a bit too long. She zipped her jacket to the top, shooting the creepy man a death glare and 

scrolling through her phone as they waited for a waiter to come take their order.

“Do you want to borrow some of my sweat pants? I think I have an extra pair in the car,” Mako offered, the man going unnoticed by him.

“Nah, it’s cool,” Korra crossed her legs, placing her phone on the table with the screen down. They sat in an uncomfortable silence, Mako’s eyes averting her gaze as he fixated on the floor.

“What can I get you folks to drink?” Their waitress scurried towards them, her demeanor apologetic for their wait.

“Hiiii,” Korra said airily. “I’ll have a coffee please, and some water as well.”

“Water and coffee. And for you, sir?” the waitress turned to Mako.

“I’ll have some Orange Juice, please,” He said. 

“Alrighty! I’ll be right back with your drinks.” she said cheerily. 

“I will never understand morning people,” Korra sighed, crossing her legs to the other side and dropping her head into her hand. Her workout had certainly woken her up, but she wasn’t very happy about it, and she had a feeling that the conversation that was about to ensue wouldn’t be very pleasant. She wanted nothing more than to crawl back into bed for the rest of the day.

“So, how have you been?” Mako tried to begin awkwardly.

“Let’s just cut to the chase, Mako. Why didn’t you tell me you started seeing someone?” She stared at him, daring him to look away. His eyes fixated on hers, and he groaned slightly at how quickly she had gotten to the point. She wanted to hear him say it; admit that there was something between them. He had to.

“I don’t know…” he trailed off, breaking their eye contact. Their waitress returned with their drinks and took their orders: waffles for Korra and eggs benedict and toast for Mako. “I guess I just felt sort of weird about it…there were all of these moments where we…” his voice trailed off again. Korra knew what he meant without him having to say it. “The lines with our friendship were always blurred, and I didn’t really know how I felt. And things with Asami just sort of happened…”

“Yeah, how did you two even meet anyways?” Korra sniped, dumping a packet of sugar into her coffee and twirling it around with a spoon.

“She um… she ran over me with her moped the other day outside of the Yangchen building.” He blushed, his eyes glossing over as he remembered the incident. 

“I see.” Korra said curtly. It was fucking bullshit. Hadn’t she been close? Only for some random girl on a scooter to come fuck everything up? And of course it had to be someone that Korra couldn’t hold a candle to.

“Anyways…” Mako tried to swallow the lump in his throat. “I hope this doesn’t make things uncomfortable between us. I still consider you one of my best friends. And I know Asami wants to be friends with you, too.” He offered carefully. Friends. Did Korra want that? Could she even handle that right now?

“I was hoping we could spend some time together, just you and me…” her face fell. 

“We’ve been spending lots of time together.” Mako said awkwardly. 

“I mean, outside of the gym…” Korra blushed, turning her head to the side. She couldn’t help herself, she had to at least try.

“I don’t know...Asami and I are-” he began before Korra brashly cut him off, the words spilling out of her mouth before she even had time to think.

“Look, I really like you and I think we were meant for eachother!” Korra blurted out, gripping the edge of the table and leaning forward.

Mako turned away from her, his face falling and Korra wishing she could just die on the spot.

“Korra, I’m really sorry but...I just...don’t feel the same way about you.” He said quietly. She felt her heart fall to the pit of her stomach. But what could she expect?

“Forget I...ever said anything.”

“Wait, what? Korra-” Mako watched as she stood up, taking her wallet out of her jacket and dropping some money on the table. 

“Sorry, I don’t want to be all dramatic, I just need some time. I’m sorry I said that.” Korra turned away from him, grabbing her phone and walking quickly towards the door just as the waitress was coming from the kitchen with their food. 

“Korra, wait!” Mako chased after her, her pace quickening as she burst out onto the street. “Korra.” he called her name again, pausing outside of the restaurant a few yards away from her. She stopped in her tracks, turning around as she heard him call her name again.

_ He came after me. _

“I don’t want things to be wei-” he began as she walked towards him. To both of their surprise, she lurched forward and pressed her lips to his. Mako pulled back slightly in surprise, their lips not breaking contact as his eyes widened. For a moment, they fluttered closed and he melted into the embrace. They broke apart mutually, Korra’s skin tinted in a deep blush. Mako shook his head in disbelief, wordlessly turning around and going back into the restaurant. Korra watched in dismay as he sat back at the table, back towards her and his head dropping into his hands. Fuck. She had screwed up big time. She felt a lump in her throat rise as she realized the mistake she had just made, jogging over to his unlocked car and grabbing her gym bag. 

“I’m so fucking stupid. What is this, a fucking rom com?” she whispered fiercely, willing the tears threatening to spill over to stay inside of her eyes. Why the hell did she do something so stupid? She slammed the door of Mako’s car shut and crossed the street, dipping into the bordering neighborhood and sitting down on the curb, finally allowing the tears to fall. 

“Stupid. So fucking stupid.” she hugged her knees to her chest, her phone buzzing on top of her bag beside her with a call from Bolin. She groaned, silencing her phone and biting her lip, the pain attempting to will the tears to stop streaming down her face. 


	4. Chapter 4

Korra stumbled her way home, eyes swollen from tears and exhaustion. Fresh tears began to form as she unlocked the door of her apartment, but she shook her head to will them away. To her relief, Opal didn’t appear to be home. At the noise of her arrival, Naga burst through the bedroom door excitedly.

“Hey girl,” she said weakly. Her pet noticed her devastation, jumping onto her as she knelt down to pet her head. Naga licked her face, Korra’s salty tears wiping away. “Thanks, girl.” She grinned, wiping her eyes and standing up to fetch her a treat. 

Stripping off her clothes, she stepped into her shower before it had gotten hot enough, causing her to shiver into the water stream. She dipped her head under the faucet, feeling her stomach grumble from hunger and her head begin to pound from the intensity of her sobbing from earlier. Almost resentfully, she lowered herself down to the shower floor, hugging her legs to her chest and closing her eyes. She dropped her chin to the bridge between her knees and sighed shakily, the steam of the shower heat rising around her. Anxiety began to set in, and Korra wondered if she had completely fucked up their friendship in its entirety. Would he want to stop being friends? Would he ask her to leave the team? Could he even do that? She couldn’t bear the thought of not being around him. He was her solace, her confidant, her first friend in Republic City. The one person that knew her heart. 

For hours, she lost track of time as her mind continued to race. In a moment's clarity, she reached out of the shower to check what time it was, opening her phone to a barrage of messages from other friends. 

**From: Bolin**

**Hey wyd?**

**From: Jinora my <3**

**When are you visiting? P.s. my dad says he’s proud of you for actually doing your anatomy homework :D**

**From: Mom**

**Hey honey, how are things going?**

**From: Suyin Beifong (Opal’s Mom)**

**Please have Opal call me as soon as possible.**

She decided she had been in the shower far too long, and clicked her phone off to race through the actual cleaning herself portion of the event. As she rinsed her hair, she heard the front door open and shut, presumably her roommate returning from class.

“Korra! You home?” Opal called out, dropping her purse on the kitchen counter and reaching into the fridge.

“In the shower!” She called back, squeezing some body wash onto her luffa. She hurried to finish, wrapping herself in her robe and towel drying her hair until it was damp. She entered the living space, towel wrapped around her hair and feet tracking water across the wood floor.

“How was practice?” Opal mused, munching on an apple she had retrieved from the fridge.

“It was fine,” Korra muttered, not wanting to get into specifics of what had gone down earlier. At least, not yet anyways. She heard her phone ding again in the bathroom, and she scurried to retrieve it, a part of her hoping it could be Mako reaching out. To her dismay, it had just been an email from one of her professors. “By the way, your mom texted me to have you call her a little bit ago.”

**To: Jinora my <3**

**I want to!! I’ll talk to your dad about it.**

**From: Jinora my <3**

**Yay! <3**

“Ugh. She just wants me to travel down to Zaofu for my brother’s engagement party.” She crunched down aggressively on her apple.

“HUAN IS GETTING MARRIED?” Korra nearly dropped her phone in shock.

“NO!?” Opal screamed, a loud snort erupting from her. “Why would you guess them? It’s my stupid older brother Baatar Jr.”

“I thought they were dating someone, though?” Korra retorted. 

“No, Huan broke up with their partner a while back. They said they just want to focus on themselves right now.” Opal said thoughtfully.

“Oh, ok true. But why don’t you wanna go down for Baatar Jr.’s engagement party? I didn’t even know he was dating anyone.” Korra asked.

“Because it’s fucking Kuvira.” Opal groaned, slamming her foot on the pedal of the trashcan and chucking her half eaten apple into the bin.

“What the hell? That crazy military bitch?” Korra’s face contorted.

“Ugh. Yes. I’ve been avoiding my mom’s calls all week. I’m surprised it took her this long to reach out to you about it.’’ She paused, looking off into the distance thoughtfully. “I can’t believe she’s gonna be my fucking sister in law.” 

“Maybe you should go just to appease your mother, though. She was already so hard to convince to let you come to school here...it might be a good way to-” Korra began.

“Ugh, Korra, I really don’t want to hear this right now. You don’t have any siblings, so you don’t know what it’s like. And even though you grew up super sheltered, your parents knew you had the autonomy to handle yourself away from home, and they let you go. Your parents trust you to make your own decisions. My parents are constantly waiting for me to fail so they can come take me right back home and control everything. If I go, and I’m not absolutely perfect and completely exceeding their expectations, then they’ll make me stay. My mom’s been threatening it all semester if my grades aren’t absolutely flawless. Going home would be…” She trailed off, realizing how much she had raised her voice. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to yell.”

“You’re fine... Sorry for overstepping…” Korra said softly. Although she felt awful for thinking it, it was nice to be reminded that she wasn’t the only one dealing with problems. 

“It’s okay. I’ve just... been under an insane amount of stress lately. I’ve been trying to be chill about things, but I feel like I’ve just been on the verge of exploding.”

“I get it,” Korra offered.

“I just hate talking about shit like this...” Opal bit the bend of her finger nervously. Korra knew her roommate well enough to realize she was truly struggling to drop curse words so freely: it wasn’t part of Opal’s regular vocabulary.

“You’re right. I’m sorry.” Korra relented, stepping forward to embrace her friend comfortingly. Opal held her arms, smiling sadly. 

“I’m sorry too. I love you,” she said,

“I love you, too,” Korra smiled. “Do whatever you think is best. I’ll support you, okay?”

“I love youuuu,” Opal cried. Korra giggled at her as they broke apart. “And thanks for dealing with my mom. You’re such a good friend.” She giggled, her hand covering her mouth.

“I try!” Korra pushed her bangs out of her eyes.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CW: smut!

The heavy beat of the music pounded in Korra’s ears as she rode the private elevator up to Asami’s residence, her calves burning as she rocked back and forth onto her tiptoes and heels, unable to be still. She shot a glance toward Opal, who was nervously checking her eye makeup on her phone camera. 

“You look great!” Korra reassured her. “And I’m sure Bolin will agree!” Opal blushed at her words, gently tucking a strand of her short hair behind her ear. Korra had successfully convinced her friend to try something that showed a bit more skin than she would normally wear: a tight emerald shift dress that made her eyes even greener. She sucked in a deep breath, attempting to psyche herself up for her inevitable reunion with Mako. She hadn’t seen him since she had embarrassed herself at breakfast, and she wasn’t exactly looking forward to it. With her best efforts, she pushed down any reservations she had and reached inside of herself to project the best confidence she could muster. 

“So do you!” Opal gushed, eyeing Korra’s lacy black bralette and matching skirt, wishing she had the confidence, no, the _body, to_ pull off something so daring. Korra smiled at her reassuringly, smoothing the top of her hair down again as the elevator dinged. The doors opened directly into the center of the party, and the movement caught the attention of exactly who she wanted. Mako looked up from the bar directly adjacent to where they stood, mixing a drink carefully and looking up just in time to see them enter. Korra pretended she hadn’t seen him, tossing her short hair to the side flirtatiously and pulling out her phone. Opal trailed nervously behind her, stumbling along in her too-high-heels like an otter-penguin. 

“Mako’s looking at you,” Opal loudly whispered into her ear. Korra flashed a knowing smile and sauntered her way over to some of the guys on the taekwondo team, gesturing for Opal to follow, trying to ignore the bubbling nervousness in her stomach. Mako shook his head in disbelief at Korra’s attire, turning away from the scene of her shameless flirting with their teammates, presenting her roommate to their glee. It felt performative, like she was trying to get attention. And yet, he had never seen her look so feminine...so _sexy?_ Korra was his teammate. She could probably beat him up if she wanted to. She was one of the guys, even. He shook his head, draining his glass and quickly pouring himself another, trying to drown out how awkward he still felt about their fight. He didn’t want to even entertain the idea.

“Well well well,” Korra’s path was interjected by a familiar face, seemingly out of nowhere. 

“Damn. Aren’t you a little old to be at a house party like this?” Korra sneered. 

“I’m here strictly on business,” the man replied, his lips curving into an unsettling grin. “Can I interest you in some party favors?”

“Opal, do you wanna smoke?” Korra turned to ask her friend. Opal nervously shook her head along with the team members. 

“I’m DD,” one replied.

“Yeah dude, we’re good.”

“Fuck off then, Shady Shin.” She wiggled her fingers at him.

“You know where to find me,” Shady Shin shrugged, turning on his heel and disappearing into the crowd.

“What the hell is his old ass doing here?” Korra heard a gratingly familiar voice over the pounding of the music. 

“Selling to naive college students, I presume.” She heard Tahno’s distinct voice loudly respond. Ga Eun continued to rag on the drug dealer, stopping only when she literally bumped into Korra. “Shit! Sorry, I-” She turned to see who she ran into. “Actually, I’m not.” 

“Ouch, my feelings.” Korra said sarcastically. Tahno gawked at her, Korra’s darring fashion instantly catching his attention.

“Damn…” he said quietly under his breath, his eyes glued to Korra’s exposed stomach.

“Tahno!” Ga Eun’s shrill voice snapped him back into reality as he watched Korra nod in farewell to the men she was chatting with and drag Opal away, further into the crowd of grinding bodies, smirking to himself.

“Let’s try to find Bolin,” Korra called over her shoulder, tightening her grip on Opal’s hand. She did another quick scan of the room, careful to appear unfocused as she made sure Mako was still watching her. His eyes narrowed as he watched her drag her roommate along from behind the bar, only lending half an ear to the random girl trying to chat him up.

“BO-LIN! BO-LIN! BO-LIN!” A small crowd had gathered near the open double doors leading to the patio, and Korra eagerly weaved her way through the passing bodies to get in on the action. 

“Found him!” Korra smirked, watching as Bolin guzzled the tap of a keg, his handstand supported by fellow teammate Hasook and a random party goer. The roommates watched as Bolin stood back up, burping loudly and swaying to the side. The crowd cheered, and Bolin basked in his frat boy glory until his eyes found their way to Korra. She clapped slowly, walking towards him with her palms facing forward. He lifted her into a huge bear hug, kissing her cheek as he placed her back on the ground. 

“How are you, beautiful?” He said sloppily, the alcohol on his breath puffing over Korra’s face. “Can I get you something to drink?”

“You remember my roommate Opal, right?” Korra’s lips curved up mischievously, ignoring the boy’s words and pulling Opal forward to stand next to her. 

_Now’s your chance, Opal._

“Oh, yeah, of course! I remember because Opal is such a beautiful name!” Bolin’s words slurred slightly, his happy go lucky demeanor amplified from the drinks he was plied with. “For a beautiful girl!” He added, burping loudly.

“Oh...thank you,” Opal replied shyly, her cheeks tinted in embarrassment.

“Dope. Can you keep her company for a bit? I wanna go say hi to Mako and Asami.” Opal shot her a worried glance, begging her not to leave with her eyes. Korra returned it with a shit eating grin, sauntering away at Bolins reassurance that he’d stay with Opal while Korra made her rounds. She reentered through the French doors of the patio, flicking her eyes about the room again. Where had Mako run off to? And she was yet to see the party hostess.

Despite the current implications, Korra couldn’t help but remain intrigued by Asami as a whole. Her alluring demeanor drew her in, and despite the drama with Mako, she still wanted to scope Asami out a bit further. Korra dropped her head slightly, eyes glazing over as she let her mind wander to Asami’s cherry red lips, impossibly long legs-

“Hello,” Tahno’s voice crept into her ear again. 

“AH! Fuck, Tahno you’re like a vampire or something! Quit sneaking up on me like that!” Korra yelped, clutching her heaving chest. 

“I forgot you scare easily.” He mused, handing her a glass.

“I don’t like champagne?” Korra asked him quizzically, sniffing the glass before handing it back.

“Since when?” Tahno retorted, pulling her over to the staircase. She couldn’t be bothered to refuse him, sinking down onto the stairs and removing one of her heels. 

“Since you’re the one giving it to me.” She sneered, rubbing the sole of her foot. She shot a quick glance out the doors to check on Opal, who was laughing shyly with a hand over her mouth as Bolin animatedly told a story. She smiled faintly to herself, turning her eyes back to Tahno, his waxen skin reflecting the glow of the party. 

“Give me a break,” he groaned, sipping at the glass intended for Korra. “Can’t we at least try to be friends?” Korra looked away from him, putting her shoe back on and leaning against the wall, putting more distance between them. 

“Why? You know what happened last time we tried that.” Her eyes glossed over again, the past dancing in front of her for a moment. 

“Maybe that’s what I’m trying to lead to,” Tahno joked, sipping at the drink again. 

“And besides,” Korra continued, their blue eyes meeting again. “Your girlfriend _really_ doesn’t like me.” She huffed again. On second thought, maybe she did need a drink. 

“She’s not my girlfriend,” Tahno groaned dramatically. Korra grabbed the drink from him and tipped it back, gulping the remaining liquid down with ease. “And despite all of your insults and -hurtful- jabs at my manhood, I happen to enjoy your company.” He insisted, snatching the empty glass from her and setting it down on the ground next to the stairwell. Korra snorted, seeing directly through his smooth talking.

“I think you just wanna fuck me again,” she taunted, her confidence spurred on without the need of liquid courage. Tahno snorted at her boldness, attempting to meet her half way. 

“And if I do?” He flirted, leaning in closer to her. 

“You wanna go toe to toe with me, pretty boy?” she retorted. They locked eyes again, daring each other to make the first move. Just as Tahno began to move ever so slightly, Korra turned away, the bright red of Mako’s shirt catching the corner of her eye. She stood up, strolling away and turning back to flash him a smirk. Tahno leaned back and sighed, a smile twisting his lips as he swiped a finger across them, watching Korra’s hips exaggeratedly sway as she walked away.

“One Long Island iced tea please, Mr. bartender,” Korra said loudly, interrupting the conversation Mako was having behind the bar.

“Oh. Hey, Korra,” he shouted back, trying his best to sound casual. “I didn’t know if you’d come.”

“Of course I came,” she replied, swinging her leg over the stool in front of him. “I didn’t want to be rude to your _girlfriend._ Your GIRLFRIEND was so nice to invite me.” Mako’s face twisted uncomfortably. 

“Are you drunk?” He asked.

“Oh please, don’t be an ass.” She swiveled the seat towards the party and Mako looked at her muscular back as she lifted her arms and stretched. 

“So where is your GIRLFRIEND? I haven’t had the chance to say hi to her yet.” Korra practically screamed, causing a few of the partygoers surrounding the bar to exchange awkward glances. 

“Korra-“ Mako started. 

“What?” She snarled, unable to stop herself from her hostility; the anger and embarrassment in her heart still raw. 

“Come with me,” Mako replied, walking over to her side of the bar and grabbing her arm. 

“What? Why?” She asked. Mako didn’t reply, leading her to the staircase. 

“Up here is quieter,” he insisted. Korra looked around nervously to see if anyone had noticed them, only catching Tahno’s envious eyes all the way in the dining room, his lips curled into a snarl as Ga Eun chatted away at him. Korra unfocused her gaze, pretending she hadn’t seen or made eye contact with him as she stumbled up the stairs with Mako. They made their way to the room all the way down the hall, which Mako opened by tapping a code into the electronic lock. 

Korra followed him in as he flipped on the lights to reveal a tastefully decorated office. A stunning painting of Asami in her early youth and presumably her mother and father hung proudly over the desk. 

“Wow. Nice digs. Are you sure we should be in your GIRLFRIEND’S DAD’S OFFICE like this?” Korra sputtered.

“Korra, stop it right now. You’re being so childish.” Mako groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. 

“Oh, I’m the one being immature?” Korra scoffed. “As I recall I’m not the one with a girlfriend that he didn’t even tell his fucking friends about!” She hissed, crossing her arms. How fucking dare he.

“What the hell was I supposed to do? Tell you after you kissed me?”

“YOU kissed ME BACK!” She yelled. 

“I can’t do this. I’m with Asami now, okay? So just leave it alone.” He turned away from her.

“Oh, I get it, so you brought me up here to shut me up. What the fuck do you expect me to do? Be her friend and act like what happened meant nothing to me? Did it mean nothing to you?” She cried out. 

“Korra, calm down.” Mako turned around again, the faint pulse of the music heard in the distance. She couldn’t stop her anger from spilling out of her mouth, unrestrained.

“Shut the hell up Mako! Don’t try to make me out to be the crazy one. You have feelings for me, too!” She threw her hands up. Mako didn’t reply, biting his lip uncomfortably. “Just admit it!”

“Korra, stop fucking around!” Mako swore, shaking her to the core.

“You’re really just gonna stand there and lie to my face.” She huffed, refolding her arms. 

“It doesn’t even matter! I’m with Asami! I like Asami!” He screamed back.

“Yeah but when you’re with her, you’re thinking about me, aren’t you?” Korra’s cockiness burst out. 

“Oh you’re DELUSIONAL. Get OVER yourself,” Mako groaned.

“You drive me FUCKING INSANE.” She screamed. 

“You’re CRAZY!” He screamed back.

“You’re a LIAR!” she matched. They turned away from each other angrily, chests heaving from their shouting match. “Oh, go fuck yourself.” She cursed, spinning on her heel and storming out, her rage threatening to bubble over. Her mind was going a million miles a minute. Why was Mako so infuriating? She bounded down the stairs, nearly tripping over her heels. She groaned and yanked them off, tossing them over the side of the staircase and swinging over the handrail, landing with a loud thud. A few people turned to see the commotion, but the noise was mostly drowned out from the eardrum bursting music. Korra’s eyes threatened to spill over with tears. _Tahno. Where was Tahno?_ She wildly scanned the room, finally spotting him sitting on the couch on the opposite side of the living room, Ga Eun not so subtly draped across his lap. Wordlessly, Korra grabbed Tahno’s arm just as he opened his mouth to greet her, yanking him up to his feet with her impressive strength. Ga Eun yelped as she was pushed to the side. 

“Woah, what are you-“ he started, but Korra turned away, slipping her hand into his and gripping tightly as she yanked him over to the staircase, Ga Eun’s rage displayed across her face as Tahno’s other friends exchanged uncomfortable glances at the manic sight. “What’s wrong?” Tahno asked, nearly tripping into Korra as they raced up the stairs. Korra dropped his hand, furiously tugging at the doors without key codes. 

“Here,” she called to him, finding an unlocked and unoccupied bathroom door. At that same moment, Mako stepped out of the office, shutting the door carefully behind him. 

“What are you-“ Tahno started, interrupted by Korra yanking him into the bathroom. For just a moment, she locked eyes with Mako, his crestfallen face livened in surprise as she slammed the door. 

_Was that Korra and_ **_Tahno?_ **

Korra locked the door behind her, turning toward him with a devious glint in her eye. Wordlessly, she pounced on him, her lips crashing on to his in an effort to get him to shut up, a tear escaping down her cheek. He kissed her desperation back carefully, eyes wide open in surprise. “Slow down. Are you okay?” He gently pushed her away, gripping her exposed shoulders comfortingly. 

“Yes. Everything’s fine. Why would you ask me that? Just kiss me.” Korra crashed her lips onto his again, whipping his hands away. 

“Are you- sure you’re - okay?” Tahno asked between kisses as Korra reached for his belt buckle. “Are you crying?”

“This is what you wanted, right?” Korra panted, unclamping the buckle and shoving her hand down Tahno’s pants. She furiously wiped away the escaped tear from her cheek, a slight smudge from her makeup forming on her lower lash line.

“Only if you want it…” his voice trailed off. “Are you sure you’re alright? Did something happen?”

“Yes! Oh my spirits everyone needs to stop asking me that! I’m fine!” She insisted hysterically, bending down and pulling Tahno’s pants down. She needed this. She needed to fuck away her problems; meaningless sensations to force out how awful she felt.

_Fuck you, Mako._

She pushed herself up onto the bathroom vanity and spread her legs, pulling her tight skirt up over her hips. 

_I hate everything about you._

“No underwear?” Tahno clicked his tongue disapprovingly, quickly hardening. “You’re such a fucking slut,” he grinned, falling into their typical flirty-insult-rhetoric. “You planned this, didn’t you?” He walked toward her, positioning himself between her legs and pulling his underwear down. 

“Yeah, mhm.” Korra lied, her chest practically heaving from the adrenaline. Tahno moved his hand between her legs, spreading them out further. “So get a move on, asshole.”

“Fuck...you’re already so wet.” He whispered, tracing his finger along her outer lips. Korra sucked in a breath, the anticipation threatening to push her over the edge. 

_Just do it already._

“Don’t even bother, just put it in.” She moaned, pulling her bralette over her head. Tahno titled his head to the side in surprise, used to Korra’s demanding appetite for his tongue. However, he wasn’t about to complain. He pushed her back gently, leaving her completely exposed for him. “Are you good on protection?” He asked, kissing her neck.

“Ah, right. You better wrap it up. Fuck, I didn’t bring anything.” Her eyes darted around the bathroom. 

“It’s cool, I have a condom,” he reassured her, bending down to get his wallet from his pants and retrieving the packet. 

“Always prepared?” she smirked, her cocky words illustrated by a shaky voice, only turning Tahno on more. He wanted to punish that smart mouth of hers. 

“You can never be too careful,” he said nonchalantly, rolling the condom on and repositioning himself in between her legs. He paused, taking her in more clearly, the fluorescent lights of the bathroom bouncing off of her deep skin.

“Tahno…” she said breathlessly, snapping him back into reality.

“You’re so fucking hot,” he groaned, holding himself and rubbing her entrance with his cock. The anticipation made her want to jump out of her skin.

“Quit teas-,” she hissed, gasping loudly as he quickly pushed inside of her. 

“What was that?” He asked her, putting his arms around her and pulling her closer towards him. He pulled her hips forward, angling them up slightly as he kept a hand clamped to her thigh. Korra groaned from the pressure, the angle hitting deeply inside. Tahno got to work, one hand keeping steady on Korra’s hip as he began to rhythmically thrust, while his free hand rubbed her meticulously.

“Ahh!” She gasped, her cheeks blushing a deep burgundy as she arched her back. “Ow!” She smacked her head against the huge glass mirror of the vanity. Her vision began to double, and the sensation of Tahno’s touch was threatening to send her into sensory overload. 

“Are you okay?” Tahno froze, watching Korra’s eyes gloss over from dizziness. He lifted his hand to reach out to her face, gently caressing her cheek.

“Don’t stop!” She demanded, sitting up slightly to grab his shoulders. He chuckled softly.

“You are one crazy bitch,” he pushed forward again, causing her to gasp even louder. Korra moaned weakly, her head still spinning from the hard smack it had endured. She let her mind wander, thoughts only able to return to her argument with Mako. She maneuvered herself closer to the edge of the sink, holding onto Tahno’s shoulders as her eyes rolled to the back of her head with every pounding she endured. Tahno began to slow his pace, worried he wouldn’t last much longer if she didn’t stop the porn star moaning. He was so incredibly turned on he couldn’t even think clearly. He placed one hand on the edge of the counter to steady himself again as he used his other to yank at the back of Korra’s short hair, tilting her head back as she let out another desperate moan. He leaned forward, placing sloppy kisses up and down her lengthened neck before moving to her breasts, his slow yet haphazard strokes making her cry out. 

“Hold onto me,” he instructed, placing her arms around his neck as he took her right breast into his mouth. Over and over again he slammed into her, biting down on her nipples harder and harder as she instructed him. 

“Just like that!” She practically screamed. Tahno complied, hitting the angle she requested until his body threatened to burst.

“Let me,” he pushed a particularly deep thrust, causing her eyes to roll back again. “Go down on you,” he insisted. He was so close now, he needed a break to recharge. Korra nodded breathlessly, practically shoving his head down as he pulled out of her and knelt down. Placing his hands on her back, he gently scooted her to the very edge of the sink, her feet skimming the floor. “Stand up and swing your leg over my shoulder,” he commanded. She complied, and he pushed her leg up high to spread her further. Her insides felt like a washing machine of anxious pleasure, her submissive side rearing it’s pathetic head as she complied with his every command. He grinned up at her, the view of her arched back and perfect chest enough to nearly send him over the edge. She breathlessly smiled down at him, pushing his curly hair out of his face as he began to work on her, his heavy breathing tingling against her skin. Starting with a few slow licks up and down the entirety of her sex, he carefully spread apart her lips with his own as he lapped up and down, maintaining their eyecontact. Korra looked away, a hand covering her eyes as she got more and more worked up. She felt her cheeks heat up, her face twisting in an almost painful wince.

“How’s that?” he asked, darting his tongue quickly across her center.

“Hnnng,” was all Korra managed to get out as she grabbed fistfuls of Tahno’s dark hair. He groaned slightly at the sensation, moving up to her clit and flicking gentle swipes back and forth. He increased his pace, swirling tight circles with his tongue as her breath quickened. He reached a hand up to her breast and tugged at the nipple, causing her to cry out.

“Tahno,” she addressed him in a warning tone. The back of her hand rested on her forehead as her eyes rolled back into her head, overwhelming pleasure radiating through her lower body. He inserted his middle and ring finger, pumping in and out of her as his mouth worked her over. She bucked her hips involuntarily into his hand, pushing against his nose in her desperation for him to be inside of her again. The sound of the bass boosted music rang through the bathroom as Tahno naturally began to follow the rhythm of the song with his tongue. 

“Cum for me.” He demanded, diving back down as she squirmed.

“Fuuckkk,” she groaned, her thighs beginning to shake. Wordlessly, Tahno lifted her by the waist back on to the counter and stood back up. He clasped his hand around her throat, applying gentle pressure as Korra’s eyes widened. 

“Why did you stop you mother fuc-“ Korra gasped as he pushed into her again, pulling in and out of her rapidly. She felt herself going lightheaded again as he squeezed. She was fading quickly, the release she craved just around the corner. 

“I’m so fucking close, Korra,” he moaned, quickening his pace even further. Korra felt the pressure in her stomach begin to build, a quick ride to the top that didn’t even leave her time to say it was happening. “Look me in the eyes.”

“I’m-!” Tahno felt her squeeze around him, and he tightened the grip around her neck as he continued through her orgasm, eyes rolling back into her head once more and her breathing so heavy and rapid it could be mistaken for a panic attack. He pulled her closer, arms wrapped around her as he reached his climax. 

“Fuck!” He cried out, the building pressure finally releasing. “Ah! Ahhh!” he moaned, pulling out of her and dropping his head to her chest. She wrapped her arms around his head, their panting slowing to match each other. Lifting his head, he grinned at her with tired eyes. She leaned forward, returning his relieved grin. 

“That was…” Her mind was still blank as she tried to find the words to describe just how good that was.

“Fucking. Amazing.” Tahno breathed, discarding the condom and stepping back into his underwear. Korra watched as he pulled on his pants, and he turned to face her again, kissing her softly. “What made you change your mind?” He whispered softly, running his palm across her stomach and back up to her breasts. He kissed her skin hotly, licking and biting along her chest and stomach. She shuddered into the sensation. He lifted his head from her, waiting for her response. 

“Shhh. Don’t ruin it.” She frowned, grabbing his face with her hands. Tahno’s icy eyes peered up at her inquisitively, and she planted a soft kiss on his mouth before dropping her hands. She moved her legs to the side of him, pushing herself off of the counter and grabbing her skirt. She shimmied back into it, turning to see Tahno holding her bralette out to her. She thanked him, pulling it back over her head and adjusting her breasts to sit properly inside of the top. “Well, thanks. It was great.” Korra said awkwardly, the euphoria of her orgasm cleared from her brain as reality began to set in. “Wait 5 minutes before coming out.” She said quietly, the look of Mako’s amber eyes watching her enter the bathroom with Tahno burned into the back of her retina’s. 

“Wait! Where are you going?” He asked, grabbing her hand.

“Back to the party!” Korra hissed, growing impatient.

“Well, why don’t you come hang out with me and my friends?” He asked.

“I don’t think Ga Eun would like that very much.” Korra joked, pulling her hand from his and turning to face herself in the mirror. Her head pounded from the contact spot it had been hit, but her vision had refocused. She hoped it wasn’t a concussion.

“Who cares? C’mon, I wanna-” Korra leaned forward, licking her finger and rubbing off the smeared makeup under her eyes.

“Tahno, chill. We had sex. Again. Don’t get all clingy on me now.” she attempted to smooth down her messy hair, her scalp tender from how hard Tahno had pulled it.

“I’m not trying to-” he began before she cut him off.

“Yeah, yeah.” Korra’s thoughts began to race again. This was a mistake. A fun one, but a mistake nonetheless. Or did she only feel that way because Mako had seen them and could put two and two together? Or is that exactly what she wanted? To rectify her rejection and pleading by proving she was, in fact, desirable? “Like I said, you were great. Play your cards right, and I might let you do that again, okay? 5 minutes.” She flicked her fingers from her eyes to his before slipping out of the door, walking backwards into a random party goer with a smirk on her face, Korra’s slightly disheveled appearance giving her away.


	6. Chapter 6

Tahno shook his head in disbelief, watching as the door shut behind Korra quickly. Turning toward the mirror, he inspected his appearance: curls in disarray, his jeans still unbuckled and his lips a deep swollen red. He dragged his index and middle finger across his mouth, sighing heavily again. He ran his hands through his curls, attempting to put them somewhat back where they were, and buckled his jeans. Followed by splashing some cool water on his face and stretching out his arms, sore from the close quarters. Despite having only a few drinks, he felt exhausted. Why had Korra run out so quickly like that? Why didn’t she want to spend any time with him outside of their “private lessons”? Tahno flipped his hair to the side and exited the bathroom, trudging down the steps, desperate for another drink. Something strong to wake him up again. He made his way to the bar, spotting his friend on a stool speaking casually with a girl he didn’t know.

“Rize, have you seen Ga Eun?” he asked, shooting the girl a polite nod, which she returned.

“Oh, hey dude. Where did you run off to earlier with that buff chick?” Rize swiveled his seat to face his friend. Tahno smiled weakly in response, wordlessly telling Rize everything he needed to know.

“Oh shit, she’s…?” he asked. Tahno nodded, biting his bottom lip to stop himself from saying something stupid. 

“Well, uh...Ga Eun is-I dunno man, I think she might’ve gone outside with Lu,” Rize smiled sympathetically. “I’d check the pool.” Tahno thanked him, turning back to the bar and grabbing the first bottle of liquor he could get his hands on. He swigged it quickly, the liquid fire burning down his throat, nearly causing him to vomit in surprise. He gagged, looking at the bottle in disgust before taking another swig. He set the bottle down, vision blurring as his eyes darted around the room to locate the french doors that led to the terrace. As he made his way through the living room, his jaw nearly hit the floor as he peered through the parted crowd to view what everyone was watching in the circle that had formed. 

“Hell yes I love this song!” Tahno recognized the voice instantly, putting his hand on a random partygoers shoulder to leverage himself to the front of the crowd as the music changed. In the very center of the circle that had arisen, Korra danced around furiously, shoeless, a bottle of vodka in one hand and the other entangled in a random girl’s hair. Their bodies grinded and slapped together to the heavy beat of the music, Korra’s skirt riding up dangerously high as the girls hands trailed along her hips and down to her ass. The men in the crowd began to whoop and holler as Korra pulled the girl in for a sloppy kiss.

_ Korra, what the hell are you doing?  _ Tahno asked himself. 

“It’sss getting really HAWT in here,” Korra yelled sloppily, handing the girl the bottle and dancing alone, throwing her hands up in the air and swaying her hips wildly to the music. The girl mimicked her movements, swigging from the bottle and cheering Korra’s dancing on as they incited more cheers from the crowd. Tahno’s vision blurred further as the alcohol spread through him. “Do you guysss feel hot? I feel really hawtttt,” Korra slurred, fanning her face. To Tahno’s horror and the rest of the party’s delight, Korra’s hands reached to her ribcage for the band of her already-barely-there-bralet. 

_ Korra, no!  _ Tahno screamed internally, pushing his way through the bodies to shield her and prevent her from exposing herself. But before he could, another knight in shining armor came to her rescue.

“Korra, what the FUCK are you doing!?” a furious voice commanded everyone’s attention. Korra dropped her hands lazily, a giggle erupting in her throat as the man who had yelled parted the crowd and stormed up to her. Effortlessly, he picked her up and swung her over his shoulder, carrying her down the adjacent hallway.

“Mako, put me DOWN!” Korra yelled, slamming her fists against the man’s back as they passed everyone’s shocked faces. Tahno’s mouth snapped shut at the sight, realizing that Mako would be sufficient in protecting Korra’s modesty. However, his heart sank at the implication. Of course he wasn’t the only guy that cared about Korra, but he couldn’t help but feel a slight disdain for Mako, for obvious reasons. 

“Shut up, Korra! You’re making a complete ass of yourself!” Mako tightened his grip on her, trying to ignore the onlookers as he slammed the door of the room shut and flung her down on the bed. “Are you happy? About your little performance?” He towered over her, pinching his nose in frustration.

“Where the hell did you even come from?” She yelled, falling back onto the bed as her head began to spin. 

“Why are you doing this? You almost flashed the entire fucking party! You’re-you’re belligerent!” He lectured, standing at the edge of the bed. Korra squirmed, her hand holding her head as it continued to pound. She sat up slightly, her top twisted to the side to nearly expose herself. “Fix your damn shirt!” he shouted.

“STOP SCREAMING!” Korra screeched, her eyes closed. “Spirits, my head is killing me!” She twisted her top forward to properly cover herself. “Ugh, the room is spinning.”

“Korra,” Mako tried a softer approach, sinking onto the edge of the bed to sit at her feet. “You can’t get  _ this _ fucked up  _ alone _ at a party. Where’s your roommate?” He attempted to coax some information out of her. “Or...or Tahno?” Mako spat, his face contorting in remembrance of their fight earlier. 

“Oh fuck right off with that Mako,” Korra shot up angrily. “Ah, fuck,” she clutched her head again. “Leave Tahno out of this.”

“Korra,” Mako lifted a hand to touch her shoulder. 

“No!” She slapped his hand away. “Don’t touch me! You don’t get to do this! You don’t get to be mad at me for fucking people or drinking too much! Those are MY choices. You fucking asshole!” she yelled. “You don’t get to tell me what to do!”

“Korra! Stop fucking yelling!” Mako yelled back. “I’m not trying to tell you what to do!”

“S-stop cursing at me you dick!” She shouted even louder.

“Fine, fine.” Mako raised his hands in defeat, the bedroom muffling the sound of the music enough that they could speak at a moderately normal level. “I’m _ so _ sorry for stopping you from exposing your chest to a bunch of creepy guys while you’re too drunk to defend yourself. MY MISTAKE!” Korra turned away from him angrily. “Ugh. I’m sorry, that was uncalled for.” He reached out again, trying to grab her hand with his and regretting that he let his temper get the best of him.

“Dont!”” Korra ripped it away from him. “Don’t do that!”

“Do what!?” Mako said exasperatedly.

“Don’t save me! Don’t be nice to me!” Tears began to form in the corners of Korra’s eyes as she stared at him, his lips parted in surprise at her sudden display of emotion. Mako felt his heart drop at the sight of her tears, an overwhelming sense of defeat overtaking him.

“Ugh! Sometimes, you can be so infuriating!” Mako said angrily, their previous argument replaying over and over again in his head. It was the strangest mix of emotions; embarrassment from their encounter at the diner, confusion over how he felt, desperation to keep her in his life one way or another.

“Save your breath. You’ve already made it clear how you feel about me, so let’s just leave it at that!” Korra said exasperatedly, pulling her legs to her chest and wrapping her arms around them as she looked away. “I really don’t need this right now.” Mako took a deep breath, attempting to choose his words carefully. He turned away from her. “No...i-I haven’t,” he said quietly.

“What?” Korra’s vision doubled again as she looked over at him again.

“I said I haven’t made it clear. What I’m trying to say is…” Mako reached for her hand again, lacing their fingers together. This time, Korra didn’t pull away. “As much as you drive me crazy, I also think you’re pretty amazing.” Korra’s droopy eyes widened in surprise, and she scooted closer to him. Her brain flooded in euphoria. Was he messing with her? Did he really mean it? 

“So, you do like me?” her voice heightened in disbelief. 

“Yes!” Mako lurched forward in vexation. “But, I like Asami, too. I don’t know, things are complicated.”

“Why tell me now?” She wondered aloud. 

“I don’t know. When I saw you and Tahno I just got so angry! But I didn’t want to admit to myself why. I’ve been feeling really confused-” and before he could finish, Korra’s lips smashed into his. Mako leaned into the kiss, tasting the alcohol on her tongue and using his free hand to caress her cheek; their held hands remaining steadfast and gentle. Korra pulled away, searching his eyes for some sort of non verbal reaction. 

“I can see three of you,” she joked, a goofy smile spreading across her face. She had transformed, her drunken stupor overturned to elation.

“You’re wasted. I wonder if you’ll even remember this, tomorrow,” Mako sighed, standing up and grabbing a glass from the table in the corner of the room. He entered the private bathroom and filled the glass with water before handing it to Korra and sitting down again. Korra sipped the water slowly, fearing she was close to throwing up as he studied her carefully. She looked at him again, the way she always wanted him to look at her. And despite how drunk and blissfully happy she felt, the storming confusion of Mako’s eyes wavered her. 

“W-what are you thinking?” She asked him, setting the glass on the nightstand and leaning back onto the bed. 

“I don’t really know,” he said. “It’s like my brain is short circuiting.” 

“I’m on cloud nine,” her goofy voice practically sang as she pulled mako down next to her. “But I’m worried about you.”

“Korra, I-“

“Please don’t get all Mako on me right now and just lay with me for a bit.” She asked softly, snuggling into him. Mako relented, his soured face softening as he looked down at her. Korra’s face was very fresh and feminine: her deep skin reddened from the alcohol. Mako was used to a tough fierceness about her features that only softened when Bolin told a stupid joke, or when he greeted her. To see Korra so gentle, with her lashes sweeping down her cheeks, and so vulnerable, with her arm draped lazily across his chest as if it was the most natural thing in the world. Mako’s chest tightened as he lifted a finger to wipe at Korra’s further smeared makeup. 

“When I saw you go into the bathroom with Tahno...I was going out of my mind.” Mako admitted. “Are you...seeing him?” He gently moved his hand in comforting circles on her exposed back. She reached up to push her falling hair out of her eyes, responding with a breathy and sincere “no”. 

“Honest, jealous Mako. I like it.” She scooted closer to him, turning on her side and pulling him into her, resting her head on his chest. He felt his arm stiffen under the weight of her head, and he bent it to hold her closer. She staggered her legs between his. Mako watched nervously as her too-short skirt rode up with her movement. Suddenly, his entire body turned beet red.

“Holy shit Korra, where’s your underwear!?” He whisper-shouted, her only response a faint chuckle as she nuzzled his chest and tightened her grip on his arm. He turned over, smashing into her face as he yanked the garment down to protect her modesty.

“Boo.” Korra mused as he rolled back over. She looked at him lazily, a faint smile turning her lips. Mako decided it was best to let it go, waiting for her to drift off so that he could safely lock the door behind him and try not to throw up when he saw Asami. What the hell was he going to do about that? Korra dipped her head back down, dropping it onto one of the pillows as Mako slid off the bed and pulled the blanket up over her.

“You’ll be safe in here,” he assured her. “I’ll lock the door.”

“I don’t wanna sleep without you here,” Korra begged sadly. Mako turned back to face her, brilliant blue eyes glowing in the dimly lit room demanding that he stay.

“Then don’t sleep!” He countered, pushing through the door and locking as he promised. He hated to leave her, and yet he hated to be near her. It was a complete and utter betrayal of everything in his life that had finally started going right, and yet, he couldn’t stop himself. 


	7. Chapter 7

“So, is beer not really your thing? Because, we have lots of different stuff. My brother Mako is really good at making drinks. We could get you something else!” Bolin rambled, still overly intoxicated from his keg stand earlier. Opal nervously looked at the red solo cup she was holding. 

“Oh no, this is great!” She reassured him, forcing down a few gulps. She tried not to vomit at the putrid taste.  _ What’s a lady gotta do for some cocktails around here?  _ Bolin laughed at her disgusted face, smacking a hand on her bare shoulder. She grinned lightly at him, which he returned. 

_ Are you proud of me, Korra? I think this is going pretty well! _

“So! You and Korra pretty close, then?” He asked emphatically, almost as if he had been reading her thoughts. His tone indicated a forced casualty that he hoped Opal wouldn’t pick up on.

“Yeah! She’s one of my best friends.” Opal replied.

“Nice. So, Uh, how’d you guys meet?” He asked as her brow furrowed. What was he getting at?

“She came to a world leader summit with her dad to my home state.” Opal remarked thoughtfully, the faint memories of Korra’s brazen nicety dancing in her mind for a fleeting moment. “I’m from Zaofu.”

“Oh yeah, sometimes I totally forget she’s like, a princess.” Bolin remarked lazily, an inquisitive hooked finger placed on his chin. Opal noted his ignorance of her statement pertaining to herself in favor of discussing her roommate, the realization washing over her quickly.

“Oh, I do too, sometimes... Opal reflected. “To me she’s just...Korra.”

“Yeah, she’s the greatest isn’t she?” Bolin’s voice trailing off dreamily as his eyes glazed over. “She’s the smartest, coolest, buffest, prettiest-” Opal began to tune out his words, her eyes narrowing at what she was hearing. “Bravest, kindest-”

“-Um, yeah.” Opal cut him off. Had Korra forgotten to tell her something? A tinge of embarrassment flushed her cheeks as she grit her teeth. All of the efforts she had gone through, the signals she had misinterpreted...

“Hey, Opal right?” One of the guys from the team walked up behind them, saving Opal from Bolin’s uncomfortable rant about how amazing Korra was.

“Hey, yeah.” Opal turned her back to Bolin.

“You wanna dance?” the guy asked.

“Oh, um…” She awkwardly turned back to Bolin.

“No no, go right ahead. This guy’s trustworthy. Take care of my homegirl Opal, okay?” Her face fell visibly as he nodded exaggeratingly. To Opal’s chagrin, the guy carefully took her hand and led her back inside, Bolin’s droopy smile watching them for a moment before turning back towards the pool, his eyes glossing over from the reflection of the lights.

  
  


Korra watched as Mako left the room, turning to the glass of water and sipping it slowly. She had so many things to think about. Was Mako going to dump Asami for her? Was he going to forget about his feelings for her in favor of Asami? And what would that mean for her and Asami? A friendship killed off before it even had the chance to start? Would she be losing one of her best friends either way? Her head ached painfully as every new thought formed. She let her mind wander a bit more, forcing herself out of bed to refill the glass in an attempt to minimize tomorrow’s inevitable hangover. As she sipped the glass, leaning over the bathroom sink and inspecting her appearance in the mirror, she heard her phone buzz. Her hair was sticking up in some places in the back, her top had twisted so far her chest was nearly falling out, and her skirt was halfway turned across her body. She attempted to remedy this, but her hands and eyes shook as she pulled at her clothing. 

_ Opal’s gonna be mad at me for getting carried away… _

She made her way back into the bedroom, tapping her phone screen to see the message.

**From: lake tahno :P**

**Im outside the door will u let me in?**

**To: lake tahno :P**

**whagt do yoi want????**

She typed out her reply sloppily as she heard a faint knock.

**From: lake tahno :P**

**To check up on you. Please?**

Reluctantly, Korra staggered over to the door, yanking down on the heavy, ornate handle and peering up at the man waiting for her. Wordlessly, Tahno pushed past her into the room as she let the door swing close. He turned to face her expectantly, hands on his hips as he looked her up and down.

“I must’ve been in the bathroom for what, 10 minutes? And you got this trashed? You’re such a lightweight.” He remarked. Korra folded her arms over her chest, suddenly chilled. The room had blocked off the sweaty heat of the party, and AC blasted over them. The sweat that glistened on Korra’s skin began to dry as she felt nauseated from the temperature change and alcohol coursing through her system. She shivered, turning her gaze away from him. 

“Did you j-just come in here to lecture me?” She winced, rubbing her hands up and down her arms.

“Are you cold? Get under the covers.” He instructed, walking over to the bed and lifting the sheets up. Korra obeyed, sliding past him and under the sheets. Gingerly, Tahno pulled the covers over her and tucked her in slightly. Korra watched as he moved, looking down at her with a soft smile as he pushed her bangs out of her eyes. They made eye contact and she looked away shyly. “I thought Mako would’ve taken better care of you…” Tahno remarked, biting his lip for a moment before rolling over her onto the other side of the bed. She turned to face him, pulling the covers over her shoulder as he adjusted to face her.

“He wanted me to sleeeeep it off,” she said.

“Ah, sorry. I just wanted to see for myself that you were okay. I was about to come save you when Mako-” Korra snorted at his words. 

“Tahno, I didn’t  _ need  _ saving.” she retorted. “Especially from a  _ guy! _ ” 

“Babe, you were about to take your shirt off in the middle of a party.” Tahno snapped, tucking his hand under his cheek, the other brushing up and down the bend of her waist over the blankets. “If that even qualifies as a shirt,” he teased.

“Just making it easier for you to rip off of me.” Korra replied seductively, rolling closer to him and lifting her hand up slightly to place on his neck. Tahno lifted his arm, placing his hand over hers on his neck as he leaned in to press a soft kiss on her lips. “Ughhhh stop being cute,” she groaned. Tahno laughed, telling her to turn around so they could cuddle. She complied, pulling his hand over her waist and holding it there, desperately wishing he was Mako instead. They laid in silence for a few minutes, their breathing slowing down to match paces. Tahno’s mind raced, grateful to be so close to her in the moment but his feelings completely jumbled. He knew how she felt about him, he just didn’t want to admit it.

“Korra?” He asked suddenly.

“Hmm?” she replied. 

“Oh, I thought you might’ve dozed off.” 

“Nah…” she replied breathily. “This is the aftercare we didn’t get a chance to do earlier.” He squeezed a bit tighter, pulling her in even closer to form their bodies together. 

“Can I ask you something?” He said gently, pushing her cascading hair out of his face. He took her silence as an invitation to continue. “Why don’t you ever want to spend time with me?” He bit his lip in anticipation for her reply.

“Whatcha mean? We hang out all the time. We’re hanging out right now,” her tone took the defensive. 

“No, I mean, like,  _ hang out.  _ With me and my friends. We’re friends, aren’t we? Or…” He was suddenly grateful that Korra was under the influence for this conversation; the thoughts raging in his mind for weeks finally spilling out in a rare moment of vulnerability. 

“Yeah...we’re…friends…” she said softly. “But sometimes I think...you might want to be a little bit more than that, and I-.” She paused, breaking from his grip and whipping around to face him again. Tahno’s breath hitched in anticipation. “I get nervous. I know I don’t seem like it, but I-” she paused again, eyes growing wide for a moment. “I-” she felt her body tense, Tahno’s tense as well. “I’m gonna throw up!” She ripped out of his grasp, stumbling into the bathroom and retching into the toilet. Tahno sighed uncomfortably, walking into the bathroom and pulling her hair back as she continued to vomit. He knew exactly where she was going with her words. She knew how he felt about her, she was just too polite to do anything further to accidentally lead him on. He was always gonna be the guy she came to crying about other guys. The one that would hold her hair back while she threw up from drinking over another man. He would always be that guy. Dejectedly, he dropped her hair and watched as she leaned back and looked at him, wiping her mouth. 

“Ugh, sorry,” she groaned, her back against the tub. 

“I’m worried you might be concussed from earlier,” he bent down, tucking her hair behind her ear and lifting her to her feet. She fell into him as he helped her to the sink.

“I feel a little better, I guess,” she remarked, gargling some water and spitting it out. She raided the cabinets and drawers, finding some mouthwash.

“I’m glad…” Tahno whispered, exiting the bathroom and sitting on the bed.


	8. Chapter 8

“Hey, Mako said-” Asami walked into the room following a gentle knock. “Oh!” She said in surprise, seeing Tahno sitting at the foot of the bed. “Do I have the wrong room? Is Korra here?” Tahno looked up from his phone, standing up from the bed as the party hostess walked into the room, letting the door swing behind her to drown out the noise of festivities. 

_ Oh spirits. Oh FUCK.  _

Korra’s eyes darted to the half shut door of the bathroom and back to the mirror in a panic. This was far too embarrassing.  _ Asami?  _ She didn’t want Asami to see her like this. What would she think of her?

“She’s in the bathroom,” Korra heard Tahno mutter as Korra quickly moved to push the door shut. But she was too late. 

“Thank you,” Asami nodded. 

“Knock knock,” Asami said softly, pushing the door open. Korra clenched her fists, nearly collapsing again in awe of the girl that stood before her. 

_ FUCKKKK!!!!! _

She was astonishing: perfectly tight party curls swept up into a ‘relaxed’ hairdo that no doubt took no less than 30 minutes, a celebrity esque smoky eye and red lip complimented by a sheer blouse that left  _ just enough  _ to the imagination to pique some interest. Korra resisted the urge to let her jaw hit the floor. Why did Asami have to be so beautiful? “Mako said I’d find you in here.” She smiled sympathetically, holding two painkillers out for Korra to take and shutting the door behind her. 

“Thanks,” Korra replied awkwardly, popping the pills into her mouth and tipping the glass of water back to wash them down. Mako told her? What else had he told her? She was suddenly regretting the fact that she had started to sober up. 

“Of course!” Asami replied cheerfully. “Oh, there should be some makeup remover in the bottom right drawer!” She pointed out as she watched Korra grimace at her smeared eye makeup. Korra bent down to retrieve the wipes, thanking her again and swiping carefully under her eye in an attempt to salvage what she could of her eye makeup. Asami watched her intently, and Korra’s neck began to heat up from the unimposing tension she wasn’t sure the other girl could feel. She went for the glass of water again, sipping slowly to try to cool herself off from the pounding headache that had set in from the alcohol and heaving. Asami watched her carefully, sweeping lashes cascading down her cheeks as she blinked curiously.

“So, is that your boyfriend?” Asami asked nonchalantly. Korra nearly dropped the glass as she began to choke on the gulp of water that had travelled down the wrong pipe at the woman’s words. “Are you okay?” Asami handed her one of the hand towels sitting on the counter as Korra attempted to stifle her cough, slamming the lid of the toilet down and sitting on it as she attempted to catch her breath.

“I’m fine,” she choked out in a gravely tone. Despite her pounding headache, she felt herself steady as the majority of alcohol had been purged from her system. “I guess I got a little carried away. I’m sorry.” She turned to look at Asami again, trying her best not to let the woman’s intimidating beauty cause her to break eye contact in inferiority. 

“Aw, don’t worry.” She put a comforting hand on Korra’s exposed shoulder. “I just wanted to make sure you’re okay!” She grinned lightly at her, which was met with a shy return. The water tribe girl thanked her again for her kindness. 

“I hope we can still grab some tea sometime soon,” Korra offered, trying to ignore the nagging in the back of her head that this wasn’t a good idea.

“Absolutely. Well, I think Mako was looking for me. I’ll see you at tuesday’s scrimmage?” Korra merely nodded, and Asami dropped her hand from their contact. 

“I’m loving the outfit, by the way. So sexy!” She whispered the last bit, causing Korra’s cheeks to inflame in delight. A compliment from someone so elegant and glamorous was surely something to behold, especially in the current state Korra was in. Asami exited the bathroom, Korra’s shaking eyes glued to Asami’s impossibly long legs. Asami nodded politely at Tahno as she exited, as if this wasn’t her own home they had been galavanting around. 

Korra exhaled deeply. Maybe she was in the clear and Mako wouldn’t say anything. She became concerned for the difficult situation she had created, and knew that some uncomfortable conversations awaited her. She couldn’t even comprehend what her next meeting with Mako would entail. And then there were her strong feelings for him. Did she really want to destroy his relationship? Asami had been nothing but kind to her in their limited interactions, wanting to be her friend and get to know her better. Did Korra really want to steal her boyfriend? To ruin any chance of a friendship with her? There was still so much she wanted to see and know about her, and yet she couldn’t understand why.

“Ugh. Why does she have to be so fucking pretty and nice,” Korra groaned, exiting the bathroom. Tahno looked over at her, shoving his phone back into his pocket as yet another text from Ga Eun appeared, inquiring his whereabouts. “Is that your girlfriend?” She asked, slapping her hand to her head and sinking down onto the bed next to Tahno. She leaned her head on his shoulder and he gently rested his on top.

“Feeling better?” He asked softly, ignoring her question.

“A little. You might be right about that concussion though. I keep fading in and out of dizzy.”

“Dizziness?” Tahno teased. 

“Yeah, that’s what I said.” Korra retorted defensively. 

“Nice response to Asami’s question, by the way.” He muttered, lifting his head from hers. Korra looked at him curiously. “Would I really be that terrible of a boyfriend?” He feigned a mocking tone, but Korra was sober enough to understand the sting behind his words, and remembered their unfinished conversation from earlier. 

“Tahno…” She trailed off, turning to face him. 

“I like you, Korra.” He burst out suddenly. “ I know you’ve got something complicated going on with Mako, but I just…” He turned away, running a hand through his hair frustratedly. “We get along, don’t we? I want to be more to you than a quick release when you need it.” He turned to face her, their blue eyes meeting intensely. 

“Where is all of this even coming from? Post nut clarity should be making you feel the  _ opposite. _ ” She insisted. 

“I’m not fucking around Korra!” He exclaimed. Korra’s eyes widened at the severity of his words. 

“I want you to choose me.” He grabbed her hand. Her eyes darted down to his touch and back to his eyes.

“You sound like a romance novel,” she grinned lightly, attempting to ease the tension with a bit of ill placed humor. Tahno groaned.

“Can’t you just be serious for a second?” he begged, squeezing her hand tighter. 

“I just...I don’t know. This is really sudden.” To Tahno’s dismay, Korra pulled her hand out of his. “I can’t- I can’t do this right now. I wanna go home.” She lifted herself off of the bed, trying her best to ignore Tahno’s crestfallen face as she went for her phone. “I’ll talk to you later…” Tahno didn’t reply, his hands curling into fists on his lap and his head bowed so that his hair covered his face. Korra pretended not to notice the tears dripping down to his hands as she left the room. 

A mistake. This entire evening, every action Korra had taken had been a mistake. She desperately wanted to crawl into her bed, or perhaps wake up in it with the realization that this had all been a dream. She reentered the living room, attempting to find her shoes near the stairs. She located her left shoe, tears threatening to spill over as she bit her lip hard enough that it threatened to tear. She continued to search, pushing past the grinding bodies that danced around her. She pulled out her phone, noting the dangerously low percent as she ordered a car service to take her home, giving up on locating her shoe and dropping the one she held. The throbbing of her migraine only worsened as she pushed through the crowd back to the elevator to exit, her eyes meeting Mako’s just as he pulled away from Asami’s embrace across the room at the bar. Their gaze locked for a moment, only for Mako to rip away and force a smile down at his girlfriend, who had turned to chat with the person next to them, not noticing Korra as she left. 

It was all too much. Korra shoved her way through the crowd, ignoring Ga Eun’s bait thrown her way as she practically ran to the elevator as soon as there was enough space allowed. She slammed her hand against the button rapidly, willing it to come faster and slip out undetected, her breathing increasingly rapid and her vision blurring as the doors of the lift finally opened. She stepped into the elevator, erratically hitting the ‘close doors’ button and sinking down to the floor, her emotions finally able to release. She cried despairingly, holding back her wails as she tried to steady herself enough to stand when the elevator made it to the lobby of Asami’s building. Her phone, now at 2%, buzzed with the notification that the ride she ordered was waiting out front for her, and she jogged outside, bare feet slapping against the pavement as she ripped the door open and climbed into the back seat, silent tears still streaking down her face.

“Korra?” The startled driver checked as she buckled her seat belt. 

“Yes,” she croaked out, and the driver simply nodded, turning forward to drive and understanding it was best not to ask. 

When she made it to her apartment, she couldn’t bother taking off her makeup or changing as she normally would and instead fell onto her bed, sobbing uncontrollably into her pillow. Naga remained fast asleep at the foot of the bed, oblivious to her owner crumbling. Korra attempted to take deeper breaths, pulling the covers over herself and squeezing her eyes shut. Sleep. She just needed to sleep and then everything would be okay again. Her exhaustion surprised her as she felt herself drifting out of consciousness rather quickly, a final pressing thought forming in her mind, unable to wake her from drifting off. 

Oh shit.  _ Opal. _


	9. Chapter 9

Korra was awoken to the sound of the television blaring in the living room. Her eyes, crusted over from last night's makeup, had melted her lashes together. She pried her eyelids open, forgetting who and where she was in the haze of waking up. She patted around for her phone, her blackout curtains preventing the majority of light from leaking into the room. 

“What the fuck?” Korra groaned, rubbing her left eye and checking the time. 

_ It’s past noon! I really slept that long?  _ She thought to herself, throwing the covers off. She padded over to her bathroom, not even attempting to check her appearance in the mirror as she turned her shower on. After brushing the taste of morning breath and stomach acid from her tongue, she stepped into her scalding shower and let the water drip over her head. The events of the previous evening were somewhat hazy as she tried to recollect everything; some moments sharper than others. She noted the significantly reduced hangover she was experiencing, most likely attributed to her friends plying her with water as she recovered in that bedroom. However, her head began to worsen as her thoughts drifted to Mako and the seemingly unending pit in her stomach began to expand. And then there was Tahno, and an overwhelming guilt clouded her brain. She rubbed her eyes under the shower faucet, the heat quickly warming her core uncomfortably as she kneaded the residual makeup off of her face. She wanted to crawl out of her skin, her internal temperature rising too quickly. The rush of water seemed to do the trick of waking her up and helping her recall things fully.

_ Goddamnit. Had Naga been fed and let out? Did Opal-  _ the realization hit her once more.  _ FUCK. OPAL!!!??? _

Korra anxiously finished her shower, the loud tv confirming that her roommate was, in fact, home, and most likely wanted her to know it. The watertribe woman wrapped herself in her robe, toweling the ends of her hair to get it to stop dripping as she took a deep breath and entered the kitchen. 

“Hi...” She muttered, trying to find the right words to say as last night’s headache began to manifest for a sequel. Korra’s roommate whipped her head around from the couch, one hand petting her dog and the other flipping through tv channels. 

“Oh, great,” Opal said sarcastically. “The princess is awake.” Korra noted the dark undereye circles that Opal was sporting, and the puffiness surrounding her eyes. Her roommate was seething, and Korra flinched at the spiteful tone Opal had used to condescendingly address the water tribe royal’s title. “Poor Naga was starving this morning.”

“I am so sorry!” Korra said sincerely, hugging her arms tightly to her chest. “Last night was…” She lingered for a moment, searching for the appropriate adjective to describe the events of last evening.

“Oh, and thank you so much for leaving without me and not telling me.” Opal grunted, her generally sweet voice dripping in sarcasm. “And for abandoning me to make a complete ass of myself in front of Bolin.” She began to escalate her tone. Korra’s eyes widened as she watched the frustration of her roommate build up. Had it really been that upsetting to her? “Oh, and I heard you made Mako rescue you from your  _ Benders Gone Wild  _ moment of stripping for half of the fucking party!” Opal’s venomous demeanor stung her roommate deeply as Korra hugged her arms against herself even tighter. “And was that before or after you hate-fucked Tahno?” She wanted to cry as her friend's words sliced through her, deeper and deeper. How did Opal-

“I am so sorry.” Korra repeated, bowing deeply to respectfully request forgiveness. She couldn’t manifest the energy to argue, and despite her harsh tone, she knew everything she said was mostly right. She had fucked up, and Opal wanted her to know it. “I was way out of line. I should’ve told you when I left. But Tahno-”

Opal leapt up from the couch, displacing Naga, who scrambled to her feet at the sudden movement. Korra winced, clamping her mouth shut and squeezing her arms even tighter as if she was physically bracing herself for Opal’s verbal assault. “First you get me to go to a party I don’t really want to go to, then you practically  _ force me  _ to talk to the guy I like BY. MY. SELF. While you go chasing after a guy who HAS A GIRLFRIEND, BY THE WAY.” Opals voice continued to rise as Korra slowly lifted her head, her chest tightening. 

“Listen, let me explain. I’m trying to apollo-” Opal cut her off before she could finish.

“Don’t. I can’t believe you just left me there and didn’t even fucking text me you were leaving. I had to get a ride home with Bolin after listening to him go on a fucking rant about how goddamn incredible you are.”

“Wait, what?” Korra’s face twisted in confusion. 

“Bolin likes  _ you _ .” Opal turned away from her.

“No, I don’t think…” Korra protested weakly, her arms falling limply to her sides. Unfortunately, the argument made complete sense; the unsolicited gifts, group hangouts that conveniently turned into only the two of them. Korra tried to find any words to say that would retire this idea, but she came up empty handed, and snapped her mouth closed again.

“Why did you make me think I had a chance? Don’t act like you didn’t know how he felt. He’s so obvious...That was so fucking embarassing for me. Spirits!” Opal threw her hands up again in frustration.

“Opal,” Korra said in an even tone, her voice shaking as she attempted to steady it. “I’m so sorry.” She whispered again. “I was out of control. I didn’t mean to embarrass you. I was cutting loose from everything and I took it too far.” Opal said nothing, her arms crossed and her body turned away from Korra.

“Uhuh. I’m so sick of- you just keep doing the thing that you always do.” Korra paused, a lump forming in her throat. 

“What is...what is that supposed to mean?” She tensed, willing Opal to meet her gaze. 

“Just...you...you talk a big game and then you jump ship when you don’t wanna deal with the things that you started or when you get even slightly uncomfortable, and everyone around you has to clean up the mess.”

“What the fuck?” Korra felt anger rise inside of her. “That’s not true at all.” 

“Oh, so you’re really gonna stand here and tell me you weren’t trying to make me your scapegoat to get out of feeling bad that you don’t like Bolin, but he likes you?” Opal shot back.

“That’s...that’s bullshit!” Korra said defensively, averting her eyes.

“You’re always dragging me to do things and leaving me out to dry. You force me to-”

“Opal.” Korra attempted to remain calm. “I never forced you to-”

“BUT YOU DID. And I ALWAYS go along with it because I try so hard to be a good fucking friend to you through all of your bullshit!” Opal seethed with rage. “Oh no! I’m Korra! I’m a literal fucking princess and star athlete and 3 really fucking attractive, sucessful guys like me and a literal fucking heiress wants to be my BFF and I get perfect grades and I can do whatever the FUCK I want!” Tears began to stream down Opal’s face as she choked the words out, her gemstone eyes red with fury. Korra heard a ringing in her ears, white hot anger for the verbal laceration she was receiving finally exploding out of her.

“Oh yeah? Well I’m Opal! I’m so fucking terrified of being my own goddamn person and allways living in my siblings shadows that I feel like I can’t disobey my parents even though I’m twenty-fucking-three years old! I’m so above it all because I sit at home on saturday nights watching reality TV shows and eat kale ALONE because I don’t have any fucking friends outside of my own fucking family!” Korra was crying too at this point, chest heaving painfully as they stared at each other. Wordlessly, Opal stormed into her room, slamming the door shut behind her as Korra bent over, tears leaking from her eyes and quiet chuffs of emotion escaping her lips.

“FUCK YOU, TOO!” Korra screeched, walking over to the door and smacking an open palm on the center of the door angrily. She didn’t receive a reply, stalking back to her room in a huff. She plopped down on the bed, Naga trailing behind lazily, a concerned look in her eyes as the pet leapt onto the bed and snuggled up next to her. Korra lifted her hand faintly, weak strokes down her pet’s back doing little to ease her nerves as new tears continued to form a wet puddle beneath her face. Despite her tough demeanor, she couldn’t help her deep sensitive nature spurring along the natural emotions that began to flow from the corners of her eyes. She hated being yelled at, and despite common consensus, she didn’t like yelling at other people either. After maybe an hour or so of sulking, Korra heard the front door open and slam close, and the sound of Opal’s car starting up. She turned to her side, shoving an arm under her pillow and willing her eyes to finally dry up. How was she going to fix this? How could they both use their deepest insecurities against each other like that? 

_ If only I had been a better friend. If only I had known how she felt… _

Korra squeezed her eyes shut, the reality of the situation sinking in.

“Naga, why do I keep hurting people I care about?” She whispered. Naga stirred beside her, lifting her head up and placing it down on the bend of her owner’s waist. “What’s wrong with me?”

Korra reached for her phone, desperate for some kind of distraction as she blinked through her bleary vision to check her messages. 

**New Message**

**Bolin my Bitch**

Get home safe? Btw, Opal is so fun! You should invite her to Hasook’s party next weekend :D

**_Instagram_ **

**@asamisato: hey Korra, just checking in. I hope you’re feeling better. I was wondering if you’d like to go for that tea tomorrow afternoon. I have some time after class, and we could go before your evening practice. Let me know!**

**New Message**

**Jinora my <3 **

**hey you should come for dinner tonight and sleep over. mom is making macaroons! <333 and dad wants to catch up. U should call him**

**New VOICEMAIL From: lake tahno :P**

Korra took a deep breath, tapping over to the voicemail tab and swiping her volume all the way up before pressing play.

_ “...Hey, Korra.” _

Her heart sank at the familiarity of Tahno’s gravely, monotone voice coming through her phone. 

_ “I guess I shouldn’t be reaching out to you like this. I just want you to know I’m sorry for dumping my feelings on you like that. I shouldn’t have done that. Maybe it was the alcohol or maybe I was just overly emotional because of some other shit going on...god I sound like such a girl...anyways, I’m sorry for making things awkward between us. I guess I’ll just leave it at that. See you at the match.” _

She sighed heavily as the dial tone beeped, the pain in Tahno’s voice evident. Korra understood that he was holding back, the embarrassment of last night’s events washing over her. She couldn’t even imagine how Tahno was feeling given how poorly she handled the situation. She didn’t even want to think about him for now.

Korra rubbed her eyes, swiping back to her messages and typing a quick reply out to Jinora. 

**To: Jinora my <3**

**Sounds like a plan! I’ll see you soon?**

**New Message**

**From: Jinora my <3**

**YAY**

As for Bolin, she merely “liked” the message before plugging her phone back in and setting it on her bedside table. An evening away from republic city and the despair of her apartment sounded delightful, and the welcome distraction of her home away from home was an offer too good to refuse. She dumped the dirty clothes out of her gym bag, throwing in a pair of pyjamas, extra underwear and socks, and an exercise outfit just in case. After collecting her toiletries and safely securing them in the bag, she went for her phone. 

_ Oh shit, I need to reply to Asami. _

**@korrathelegend: sounds great! Jasmine dragon at 3?**

She hastily typed out her reply, the awkwardness of the entire situation weighing on her. She hadn’t spoken to Mako yet, and her full remembrance of last night's events only served to embarrass her further. She had no idea how tomorrow’s practice would ensue, however, the guilt that had been gnawing away at Korra’s insides would have to wait. She owed it to Asami to be as normal as possible. Shrugging out of her robe, she dressed warmly for the crisp, late fall air, sliding on her suede boots and fur coat. She shoved her electronics into her backpack, slinging it over one shoulder and her overnight bag over the other and walking out into the kitchen. Naga happily trailed behind her, wagging her tail as she ran over to her water bowl and lapped up the last drops. Korra refilled the food plus some for tomorrow morning, on the off chance that Opal wouldn’t be back by then, and replaced the water. She set down a second bowl of water and fed her pet a few extra treats. 

“Be good while I’m gone, okay?” Korra scratched behind her best friend's ears before pressing down on the puffiness under her own eyes. Korra sniffed deeply, her congested nose creating a loud noise. She pulled out her phone to order a car service to the ferry, hoping she could make the next one without too much of a wait time. She wanted to make it to Air temple Island before nightfall, light spirit willing. 

“Tenzin, Hey.” Korra mustered up a jovial tone as she began her call. “I’m on my way to the ferry.”

“Korra! It’s wonderful to hear from you. What time should we expect you?” Her mentor replied in his usual diplomatic demeanor. 

“I’m not sure. I’ll call you when I’m almost there?” She offered.

“That sounds fine. I’ll see you soon.”

“Okay, see ya.”


	10. Chapter 10

The port was bustling with citizens making their ways home for dinner; fisherman docking with the day’s catch and businessmen trying to catch the evening’s trains. Korra thanked her driver and slung her bags over her shoulder once more, stepping onto the sidewalk and breathing in deeply as people pushed past her. The sky, just barely preparing to set, matched her somber mood as she exhaled, slumping over slightly as she readjusted the straps of her bags. Yue Bay, named for an ancestor within her royal lineage, was one of Korra’s favorite places in Republic City. She loved to stand at the docks for hours, watching the horizon for dolphin-eels or waving to sailors as they jetted by on their skiffs. She loved the salty air hitting her skin and frizzing her hair, and the carefreeness of it all. 

The ferry boat was unusually empty for a weekend trip, but Korra paid no mind, grateful for the quiet as she checked her bags. Munching on some fire flakes she had purchased, she made her way to the top deck of the boat, attempting to clear her head of everything that had transpired. When and why did everything get so messed up? Her phone began to ring, startling her as she fished it out of her pocket.  _ Mako.  _ She hit snooze, biting her lip and shaking her head again as if the physical movement would clear her thoughts. Dealing with the embarrassment of the party was the last thing on her mind, and although she knew Mako was probably just checking on her and wouldn’t be discussing what had transpired between them, she didn’t have the heart to fake a cheerful voice. She needed to focus on her family right now. Just for one night, her life in Republic City would have to wait. 

* * *

The rest of the boat ride soothed her immensely, her deep connection to the ocean washing over her peacefully as they inched closer to the destination. As the sun set, casting a warm glow over her skin and the boat lights began to twinkle, she felt herself finally exhale. Air Temple Island had been Korra’s home for a while before she began attending college, at the encouragement of her uncle Tenzin, and she had missed it greatly. There were so many things Korra longed for in her absence, despite her time away being relatively short. 

Air Bison circled the temple lazily beyond the sky, the sun rapidly setting as the boat began to dock. 

“Princess Korra of the Southern Watertribe, welcome back to Air Temple Island! We are so delighted to have you join us this evening.” Her official greeter bowed deeply as a crewmember retrieved her luggage.

“Woah, you’re a princess?” He asked her, watching in disbelief as the air nomad collected her bags, bowing again as she walked forward to join him. Korra visibly cringed, her full title sounding foreign after being incognito as a regular college student for so long.

“Ehheh…” she breathed out awkwardly. She wasn’t used to being addressed so formally, let alone in such a grandiose way. “Thank you,” she turned back with a polite nod. The worker watched in disbelief as he hoisted himself back up onto the deck.

They made their way to the dining hall, the man explaining the new construction that was occurring in the greenhouses as Korra “hmmd” and “ahhd” politely. 

“Master Tenzin and his family are in the mess hall. Dinner will be served soon. Shall I bring your bags to your usual room, Princess?” He turned to face her, stopping in front of the building.

“Yes, thank you. And you can just call me Korra, Mr…” 

“Namcho.” He bowed his head again respectfully before flashing a polite smile and taking her bags over to the women’s dormitory. Korra breathed in deeply, somewhat nervous about being back at the island after so long. And despite being in one of her uncle Tenzin’s classes that semester, their one on one time was virtually nonexistent. 

“Korra!” The children sang in unison as Korra stepped into the entryway of the dining area. Other air nomads turned to see what the cause of commotion was as Tenzin’s family ran up to greet their long lost “big sister”. Korra embraced the children in a group hug, feeling her heart soften and her stress ease for a moment as she held them.

“We missed you a lot!” Meelo, the elder son, remarked as they all pulled back. 

“Seriously! You haven’t been here in like, forever!” Ikki declared, her middle childness the forefront of her personality. 

“I know,” Korra remarked wistfully. “School and training have kept me pretty busy, but I’m really happy to be back.”

“What about that handsome fire nation boy!” Jinora asked excitedly. Korra’s face fell slightly as she avoided the children's gaze.

“Enough, everyone. I’m sure Korra is tired from her journey. Let’s settle down for dinner.” Korra shot him a thankful glance, offering her assistance in the kitchen, which Tenzin’s wife Pema politely declined. 

Korra chewed her dumplings, steamed buns and rice quietly as she took in the atmosphere of the air nomads bustling about. Being an only child, it was a strange concept being surrounded by such a large family. She smiled softly to herself, catching Jinora’s knowing eyes. 

After dinner and the promised dessert of macaroons, Korra returned to her bedroom, Jinora trailing behind her in anticipation of their reunion.

“Ugh, finally we can get away from stupid Ikki and Meelo!” Jinora said exasperatedly, sliding the shoji door of Korra’s usual guest room closed. Korra had assumed the spacial change would give her some more time to clear her head; a different atmosphere and different people to air out her grievances. And despite this, her emotions only seemed more skewed. 

“So how are things with the boyfriend?” Korra asked awkwardly, her feeble attempt to ease her inner tension failing miserably. 

“Things are going well,” Jinora replied dreamily, a far off gaze clouding her vision for a moment before her attention snapped back. “But more importantly,” she crossed the room and sat down on the corner bed. “What’s going on with you? You seem kind of off.” Korra nodded awkwardly again, and despite her closeness with Jinora, she knew she had to be reserved in what information she divulged on the young teenagers ears. A stabbing pain emanated from her chest, and she wished Opal was there to speak with. 

_ I’m so sorry. _

“I’ve just made a lot of really stupid choices lately...My roommate and I had a huge fight.” She shook her head, pressing the back of her hand to her forehead and sitting down next to the young air nomad.

“Oh no! What happened?” Jinora asked worriedly, the sincerity in her voice calming Korra for a moment. It dawned on her that she had had no one to confide in for what felt like ages; things with Mako fragmenting and her current fight with her roommate being somewhat caused by said issues with Mako.

“Well…” Korra paused, trying to choose her words carefully. “Let’s just say I got really carried away at a party, and I left my roommate there without telling her I was leaving.” Jinora shook her head slightly. “I went straight home and fell asleep. When I tried to apologize this morning, she was really upset. We both said some pretty terrible things to each other…” Korra’s voice trailed off as she stared at the floor. The child placed a careful hand over Korra’s, locking their eyes. 

“It’ll be okay,” Jinora said sincerely. “Next time you see her, just apologize again. If you show her you really are sorry, she’ll come around. Fights are bound to happen when you live with your friends.” Korra nodded slightly.

“It’s just so uncomfortable…she left the apartment not long before I did, and we haven't spoken since this morning.”

“I think you guys just need a cooling off period.” Jinora’s kind eyes squinted reassuringly as she squeezed her “big sister’s” hand before pulling away.

“Yeah,” Korra replied, unconvinced. “You’re probably right. Thanks.” She bit her lip, her brain going a hundred miles an hour replaying their fight over and over in her head, unsure of what to think. It felt different this time; raw, as if the things Opal had said were building for the longest time until they had an excuse to swallow Korra whole. And the worst part? That what Opal had said was true. Every word of it, despite the negative connotations. Everything Korra was insecure about being thrown back into her face. And she had done the same; their only intention to hurt one another as deep as possible, Opal as a release of building tension and Korra as a defensive revenge. 

“So...Mako? That’s his name, right?” Jinora broke the prolonged silence that Korra had lost track of in her thoughts.

“Oh...um, yeah. He got a girlfriend, so…” Korra’s lips stretched into a melancholic smile, the uncertainty of the situation rising again. Jinora frowned, taking out her phone as it buzzed.

“Sorry, just replying to Kai really quick.” 

“No worries,” Korra sighed, taking her phone out of her pocket and checking her notifications.

“He got a girlfriend? That really sucks. Have you talked to him about how you feel?”

**10 New Messages from Bolin My Bitch**

**3 Missed Calls from Bolin My Bitch**

**2 New Voicemails from Bolin My Bitch**

**2 Missed Calls from Makhoe**

**2 New Messages from Makhoe**

Korra’s eyes widened at the influx of messages, swiping over to read the missed messages. 

**From Bolin My Bitch**

**Hey hey wanna get some dinner**

**Boooooo**

**Are you going to Hasooks party**

**Are you mad at me**

**You’re starting to freak me out**

**Mako said you didn’t answer his call**

**Just tell us you’re ok**

**Korra, I’m starting to get really freaked out**

**KORRA**

**ARE U GOOD**

**From Makhoe**

**Korra, please just call me when you can. I think you know we have some things to talk about. How much do you remember about last night?**

**Where are you?**

Korra groaned lightly at the spam, trying to ready herself to reply to the overwhelming bombard of messages.

“Hey, Jinora I’m sorry, do you mind if I take a bath and catch up with you later? I have to take care of some things.” Korra mustered up a positive tone.

“Oh, yeah! That’s totally fine. I’ll probably take a bath as well.” Jinora scooted off of the bed, shooting Korra a sympathetic grin. “Meet me in the courtyard in an hour and we can go for a walk.”

“Sounds perfect,” Korra forced a polite smile, waiting until Jinora left the room before slipping out of her clothes and padding to the bathroom. She drew a steaming bath, the ornate tub handles glistening in the lowlight of the modest bathroom. She lowered herself into the tub carefully, holding her phone up to protect it from the water before sliding it open again. After taking a deep breath, she swiped over to Bolin’s barrage of texts and typed out a quick reply.

**New Message To Bolin My Bitch**

**Hey sry, im at ATI for the night. I wasn’t checking my phone! Ill c u at practice tmrw.**

Almost immediately, she received another influx of texts full of relief. Korra smiled lightly at the kind, yet misguided, concern for her safety. And then it hit her again: Bolin had feelings for her. Unconfirmed, of course, but if people that didn’t even know him very well could tell, namely Opal, then it had to be true. Korra cringed deeply, setting her phone down on the floor and sinking her head further down into the water. She let her thoughts drift. Bolin was handsome and kind, and a loyal friend, but Korra couldn’t see him as anything more. Would his feelings destroy their friendship? She didn’t want to hurt him. And what did this mean for her relationship with Mako? Knowing him, he would completely step to the side if he discovered how his brother felt. And then there was the fact that he was already spoken for. 

“Ugh!” Korra splashed the water slightly as she dunked her head completely under the water, the heat burning the sensitive skin on her face. If only Opal were there to talk to. She blew bubbles out frustratedly before breaking the surface, inhaling deeply and holding her head in her hands. Her body tingled the way it does after driving for hours and suddenly stopping: this inescapable loneliness confirming that history meant nothing between two people. 

Mako. The person that she could rely on. The person that always kept her at an arm's length to protect himself. She felt like an outsider looking in, recalling their encounter and the confirmation of their shared feelings. Memories and emotions they shared but couldn’t quite cultivate in a way they could both agree on. And yet, being half right was worse than being wrong. Overwhelming thoughts swirled in her brain, and the impulse to discover where she truly stood between them and air out every deep feeling and dark secret she harbored had overtaken her. With shaky hands, she pulled out her phone and pressed the dial button.

“Korra.” His gentle voice practically whispered after picking up on the second ring. 

“I-I have to tell you something. And I’m too much of a pussy to say it in person but I need to tell you. And I’m sorry if you can’t understand that and I’m sorry that I can’t consider your feelings at this moment but I-” she rambled, choking back tears and sinking down further into the tub.

“Woah, hold on. Slow down,” she heard Mako move around, presumably into another room for privacy, and she heard the faint click of a door shutting. “What’s wrong?”

“I can’t accept things as the way they are anymore. If you have absolutely no feelings for me, then I’ll have too. But if I’m burdening you, then just tell me to go. If that’s the case, I don’t want to cause you any more pain. I have feelings for you. I’m not afraid to say it anymore. I’m sorry for dropping all of this on you. It probably feels like it’s out of nowhere. But you’re my best friend, and I’m going through so much shit right now and I just really need you, in any capacity. And lately I feel like you’ve been slipping away from me and things can’t be the same because you have a girlfriend and I’m just the sad pathetic girl that caught feelings for you. But I guess that doesn’t really matter, does it? Your happiness is far more important than mine. I really want to be there for you and love you the way you need to be loved, but I can’t do that if you don’t let me in. I just need you to tell me what’s going on in your head. I keep causing all of these problems because I’m going in blind. The last thing I want to do is hurt you. I mean, fuck! I don’t even know what this is! I don’t know what I am to you because you haven’t told me!” Tears streamed down her face, spilling into the tub as her body temperature began to rise. She heard Mako sigh deeply, the instant regret of her emotional outburst directed to an emotionally stunted person clawing at her.

“Korra…” She heard him practically wince. “Where are you? You can’t do this to me over the phone.” She heard the anger in his voice. 

“Please don’t be mad at me. I- I need you so badly right now. I’m sorry for fucking everything up. I just keep fucking everything up, don’t I?” Her hands continued to shake, the threat of her phone plummeting into the tub water the least of her worries. 

“I’m coming over.” He said sternly.

“I’m not home. I’m on Air Temple Island.” She bit her lip, her throat burning from her tears.

“Monkey-feathers!” Mako cursed. She heard him sigh deeply again. “Why are you doing this to me?” Korra pictured him pinching the bridge of his nose exasperatedly as he always did, an incredulous smile flashing across her face for a moment as her bleary eyes blinked away fresh tears. “First you dump this on me while you’re drunk, then you dodge my calls all day, only to call me out of the blue and drop an even bigger bomb? What the hell is your game?” He hissed.

“Sorry.” She said quietly, pulling her phone down and moving to tap the hang up button, instant regret washing over her so abruptly she momentarily lost vision. She wanted to escape her skin.

“Korra-” She heard faintly before ending the call. She stared at the phone in her hands for a few minutes, half expecting it to light up again with a call from Mako to finish their conversation, but it didn’t come. She felt conflicted having no one left to confide in, her heightened emotions and ineloquence with articulating her feelings burning everyone around her. Why did she keep driving people away? 

_ I feel like I know a lot, and then I realize I know nothing. _

But what had she expected?


	11. Chapter 11

Everything was spinning; the room, her head, her stomach. What was this feeling? It was as if every negative emotion she had suffered from suddenly leaked out of her; the deafening absence of presentiment drowning out everything else. After sending an apology text to Jinora, Korra feverishly crawled into bed, her reddened skin sweating from the heat she had internalized. Not even a trip to her home away from home could make her feel better. Regret poured over her like a rain shower as the mania of her phone call with her best friend replayed in her mind over and over. She just kept fucking up, and she was worried she was running out of chances. 

* * *

The next morning was an uneasy blur of a quick breakfast and apologies for such a short visit. Tenzin’s family could sense her uneasiness, but knew it was best to leave it alone, reassured that they would see her again soon. Once she had gotten back to Republic City, trying to ignore the disappointment in the Air Nomad family’s eyes at her uncomfortable visit, she inhaled deeply in front of her apartment door. Although she hadn’t spotted Opal’s car in the parking lot, the possibility of her being there was very real, and Korra knew she was far too raw to accept another verbal lashing from one of her closest friends.

To her relief, the only housemate that was home was Naga. She greeted her pet wearily, giving the inquisitive polar bear dog a treat before sinking onto the couch. In no headspace to attempt any homework in the fleeting hours of the day, she opened her phone to mindlessly scroll social media, desperate for a numbing distraction. She wondered who Opal was crashing with during their fight, as a new photo from Asami’s account popped up on her timeline; A gorgeous silhouette of the heiress against a backdrop of Republic City, the stunning horizon view from her patio that Korra recognized instantly. Having already missed her morning class, and the threat of confronting her embarrassing confession to Mako looming over her head, she figured she wouldn’t be very missed at practice. Except, shit. Tea with Asami. Korra shot her a quick message cancelling with a vague promise to reschedule. In reality, Asami was the last person she wanted to see at that moment. Why did she have to be so nice, understanding and pretty? Why did she have to be with Mako? Why did she want to be Korra's friend? After making herself a cup of tea and refilling Naga’s food bowl, she heard a knock at the door. Opal? No, her housemate would just walk in. Korra made her way to the front door gloomily, her eyes glazed over in exhaustion as her brain struggled to form any coherent thoughts. She opened the door slowly, angled downward to take in that gray jacket, familiar red scarf, and a fleeting pine and firewood scent.  _ Mako.  _

“Korra!” He exclaimed, pulling her into a hug. “I’m sorry.” Korra hugged him back hesitantly, her hands grabbing fistfulls of his jacket and pulling down slightly as Mako’s body weight nearly enveloped her. “I’m sorry.” He repeated again. “I...I shouldn’t have yelled at you.” Mako pulled away first, and they gazed at each other with a burning uncomfortability. Korra’s head felt like it would explode. “I’m sorry for showing up unannounced. We...need to talk about things.” Korra continued her deafening silence. It wouldn’t be fair to turn him away, after everything she had done in the last few days. However, she wasn’t sure she could take any more heartache. That’s why he was here, wasn’t it? To dump her? She had exhausted her spiritual, physical, and mental reserves, and just existing was to be in pain. 

_ But I guess you have to be together to be dumped… _

“I’m...sorry, too.” She rubbed the back of her neck, letting her eyes drop to the floor again. “I wasn’t thinking clearly. I shouldn’t have dumped all of those feelings on you over the phone.” Mako sighed, taking her hand gently and leading them to the living room couch. Naga trotted up, happily plopping down next to Mako for a few belly rubs as they sat in silence, collecting their thoughts. 

“Look, I-”

“I just think-” they both began. 

“Sorry.” They said in unison again. 

“You first,” Korra offered. Mako sighed again, reaching over to take her hand. He stroked the back of it gently with his thumb as he struggled to find the words to begin. 

“I was up all night thinking about what you said...not being able to accept things as the way they are anymore. Like I said before, I’ve been feeling really confused about everything. I guess I just got so comfortable in our friendship, I didn’t realize these new feelings that I was having were...different.” Korra nodded slowly, unsure of where he was going.

“And of course I wasn’t very good at hiding how I felt. It must have been uncomfortable for you.” Korra acknowledged, gritting her teeth and swallowing her pride.

“The bottom line is, you were reaching out for help and I made it all about me, and I’m sorry. I’ve been a real dick lately. I know I’ve kept things from you.”

“I guess...I’ve been doing that too. I just...you were slipping away from me and I didn’t know how to react. And I guess now you know how I really feel about you…” They both fell silent again, unsure of how to continue. “It wasn’t necessarily all about you, I just took out everything on you, and that wasn’t cool of me.” She breathed out. “I just…” Korra began again. “I just think you’re so incredible, Mako. And I guess a part of me has felt this way, pretty much our entire friendship.” She admitted, cheeks rouged with embarrassment. Mako’s eyebrows perked up a bit at her confession, and he squeezed her hand a bit tighter. “And I just kept lashing out because I didn’t know what to do. Again, It wasn’t fair to you. And it was the weirdest feeling because I spilled my guts to you as my best friend, but it was about you, too. I didn’t know what to do! Or where to turn. I’m sorry for dumping all of that on you.” 

“I get it…” was all Mako could choke out. 

“There’s this...new space between us. Can you feel it, too?” She asked, and he nodded. “I’m sorry for saying what I did. I didn’t mean it. Well, you know what I meant. But, I’ll be a part of your life in any way you want me too. I’ve just felt so isolated and lonely, like I desperately need to reach out for help but no one is around to give it. And I’m not even sure why I feel this way.. I don’t want to overwhelm you, or make you feel awkward around me. I just...I want to be around you.” Korra said softly. _If you’ll even have me._ She looked up at him slowly. “W-what are you thinking?”

Korra placed a hand on top of Mako’s that held her other as she anticipated his response.

“You asked me how I felt about you…” Mako avoided her gaze. Korra sucked in her cheeks gently. Mako tried to start again, but the words caught in his throat. “Ugh, sorry. This is so awkward...I don’t really have a way with words.” Korra turned her head away from him, her hands pulling out of his. Mako turned slightly away from her as well, the eerie silence enveloping them to near suffocation. “Korra.” The sudden demanding tone in which he spoke her name nearly startled her. “I-” This was it. The moment Mako’s true feelings would finally be revealed, no matter how inarticulately expressed. Korra’s fried brain desperately attempted to prepare acceptance for the outcome, whether or not it was positive.

“When we first met...I didn’t want to get close to you. It was always just me and Bolin, and I liked it that way. It was safer. I didn’t have to let anyone else in. But, you changed all of that for me. You showed me what it’s like to be...happy. For so long I was so alone, just worrying about me and my brother. But, you broke down so many of my walls. You proved to me that having a loyal friend and someone else to rely on and care about could...soften my heart.” Mako inhaled deeply. Korra’s eyes began to water at his words, and she still refused to meet his gaze. “All this time, I’ve been able to be a better person from knowing you. And I want to be there for you in every way I can. And I know we both make mistakes, and we’ll hurt each other sometimes...but, I want you to know....I’ll always be there for you. There’s nothing you could do or say that will make me go away, unless that’s what you want.” Mako reached over gently to wipe away the tears that were streaming down Korra’s face. 

“Yeah,” Korra chuckled sadly, wiping at her other eye with the back of her hand. “Neither of us has to be alone anymore.” Mako nodded, a melancholy smile forming on his lips. 

“I’ve got this bad habit of pulling away when things get too intense for me to handle. That’s what I did last night when you needed me, and for that I’m truly sorry. I’m really working on that…”

“You have nothing to apologize for,” Korra muttered, pulling her hands away from him.

“Last night I was thinking about things for so long...I was up all night, actually. And everything that’s happened lately...It’s made me realize something.” Mako turned to fully face her, grabbing her face with his hands and gently pulling her closer to him. Korra’s teary eyes widened.  _ Could this-?  _ “I love you, Korra.” slowly, he pulled her closer, their lips barely brushing as his hot breath grazed her skin. Korra’s eyes widened again in surprise, her mind blank and floaty as she took the plunge, leaning forward to kiss him softly. They both pulled away, blue eyes meeting brown as they stared at each other intensely. Korra sniffled, wondering if that very wet kiss had grossed Mako out at all. She took in his face: strong brows arched up, light eyes softened as they gazed at her, long slender hands clenched in anticipation and anxiety. 

“I love you too” she said breathlessly. Was she dreaming? Had she drowned in the bathtub after that horrific phone call?

“Come here,” he demanded, smiling genuinely as fresh tears began to spill down Korra’s cheeks. She shuffled over to him, his strong arms wrapping around her as she embraced him, willing the tears to stop. Everything was completely fucked up. Korra couldn’t bear to think about the implications of practicality in the situation. She wanted to go to sleep forever.

“Sorry i’m crying so much. It’s a million different things and feelings finally coming out.” She sniffled. Mako didn’t reply, merely squeezing her tighter against him as he dropped his cheek to the top of her head. 

“I don’t want us to be separated again. I really hate fighting with you. I hate hurting your feelings. I hate when you cry.” Mako said gently. “I can’t stand the fact that i’m the reason.”

“No, no.” Korra reassured him, lifting her head to look up at him. “It’s not that...well, a lot of it is. I’m so goddamn embarrassed about my behavior. It’s such a mixture of so many other things, and I had so much misplaced anger, directed at you. I’m so sorry.” 

“I guess I have a lot of things I need to figure out…” Mako muttered, and Korra had a pretty good idea what he was referring to. A cloud of guilt consumed them for a moment. 

“I think we both do. But I’m really not in the headspace to talk about that right now, if you don’t mind.” Korra muttered darkly.

“Yeah...Whatever it is, we can figure it out together. That’s what best friends are for, right?” He reassured her. Trying his hardest to sound sincere and confident in his words. Korra smiled tearily again, happily leaning down against his chest and snuggling even tighter. They lay like that for a while, and Korra noticed immediately as Mako’s breathing began to slow. He drifted off gently, the fear and anxiety of this conversation not completely gone but...like he said. They could figure it out together.w

Korra couldn’t sleep, despite her terrible exhaustion, and only Mako’s embrace and quiet breathing could comfort her as she wriggled against him, doing her best not to disturb him but desperate for any contact. Her heart was exploding with love; appreciation for Mako’s friendship and honesty. He was the one that knew her best, the only one that could drive her crazy and calm her down in the same breath. The only person that truly knew her heart. Her soulmate.

“I love you so fucking much.” Korra whispered. “More than you could ever fucking know.”


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CW: Smut!

After a few hours, Korra stirred awake, surprised that she was able to drift off. She lifted her head, fully coming to and smiling down at the boy she had fallen asleep on. Mako twitched a bit in his sleep, re-wrapping his arms around Korra and pulling her back down to his chest with his eyes remaining closed. 

“Mako!” Korra giggled, pulling away from him again and sitting up next to him. Mako breathed out slowly, his eyes fluttering half open to a tired droop. 

“Ugh, what time is it?” He asked, rubbing his eyes and sitting up a bit. Korra checked her phone. 

“It’s like 7:30,” she remarked, yawning slightly.

“Damn, I passed out.” Mako sighed, leaning forward and stretching his arms up so that his shirt lifted up just enough for Korra to get a peek at his abs. 

“Mako,” Korra said suddenly. 

“Hmm?” He turned to face her. 

“Take that off.” She pointed at his shirt. Mako dropped his arms in surprise, an embarrassed blush on his face. 

_In due time, Korra._

“What? Korra!” He snorted in feigned shock. Korra laughed halfheartedly as if she hadn’t been completely serious in her request. 

“Hey...how about tomorrow we go out for a quiet dinner, just the two of us?” Mako turned to face her, his sleepy amber eyes making Korra’s voice catch in her throat from his sincerity. Sometimes when Korra looked at him, she saw the brave little boy Bolin had told her so many stories about. But for the most part, Mako was the man she had fallen for, stoic and strong and always trying his best to keep everything together.

“Yeah, I’d really like that,” she smiled. Mako returned her expression, lifting off of the couch and strolling over to the kitchen, grabbing some instant noodles out of the cupboard and a pan from the cabinet. 

“Are you hungry? I’ll make us something.” He called over to her. 

“Yeah, thanks,” Korra mused, opening her phone to check her messages. 

**From: Mom**

**Miss you, honey. Please call us when you get the chance.**

**Instagram**

**@asamisato**

**No worries! Wanna grab lunch tomorrow? I’m uncharacteristically free for a monday :)**

_Fuck. I forgot about Asami,_ she thought, shaking her head. She aimlessly scrolled through her feed a bit more, contemplating how she would reply to her. Had she and Mako broken up? Surely she wouldn’t want to be friends if they had. Her mind raced with the different scenarios, her only way to clear up any misguided thoughts to ask Mako. _What the fuck was this chick’s deal? Did she know about her and Mako?_

Korra turned over to face her best friend, watching him move around her kitchen as he chopped some vegetables on her roommate’s bamboo cutting board. 

“Hey, is Opal around? Or will she be back anytime soon?” Mako asked casually, his thoughts drifting back to Korra’s previous demands as he cracked an egg into the noodles and twirled it around with a pair of chopsticks.

“I don’t know…” Korra’s face dropped. “We had a really awful fight yesterday and we haven’t spoken since…” Her mood soured again, and she disregarded his words as her thoughts clouded over with how awful she felt about the fight as her head began to pound.

“Oh…” Mako said quietly, ladling the food into bowls and grabbing another pair of chopsticks, wondering if Korra had gotten his hint. For such a perceptive person, Korra could be pretty dense sometimes. He handed her the food, smiling softly as he set his bowl down on the coffee table and went back to the kitchen for a glass of water for himself. Korra knew Mako wouldn’t press for any further details, and she shoveled the noodles into her mouth quickly, overwhelming hunger suddenly enveloping her with the realization that she hadn’t eaten since breakfast with Tenzin’s family. 

“But I’m guessing she probably won’t be home till tomorrow at the earliest. This is really good, by the way,” she said, chewing thoughtfully. “Why do you ask?” She turned to look at him as he walked back over, sipping his water.

“No reason…” Mako sipped his water quietly, and the air around them became weighted as it suddenly dawned on her.

“Should we...um…” Korra coughed awkwardly. “Watch a movie or something?” She offered, setting her bowl down and standing up quickly as he sat down next to her. 

“Okay.” 

“I’ll be right back. You pick.” She said hurriedly, scurrying into her bathroom without waiting for his response. 

“Oh spirits. Does he want to…? UGH opal I need you right now!” Korra whispered to herself fiercely, resisting the urge to turn around and slide to the floor against the wall. Hurriedly, she moved to the sink, washing her face and moisturizing to reduce the puffiness from her teary weekend. “Okay okay okay,” she said shakily, tripping over her gym bag and stumbling over to her dresser. “Ummmmmm…” she sifted through her underwear drawer, immediately going to the back where her more expensive articles lived. 

_Should I put on a bra? Or could he already tell I wasn’t wearing one? Which colors look like I’m not trying too hard?_

She settled on a tasteful matching lilac lace set, just casual enough to pass as what she was already wearing without looking suspicious, but a lot better than the ugly old comfortable panties she was already wearing. After slipping into a pair of loose pajama bottoms, she quickly ran a brush through her hair, fixing her part and spritzing a few dashes of perfume. Taking a deep breath, she stepped back into the living room, where Mako had queued a classic romantic comedy, paused at the beginning as he waited for Korra to return.

“A rom com? I thought you’d want to watch an action film or something.” She snorted, flipping off the lights and sitting back down onto the couch, an entire cushion space between them.

“I happen to love this movie,” he retorted defensively, brows furrowed at how far away she had sat. Had his implication frightened her? Korra’s hands began to cramp from how tightly she had them squeezed shut in anxiety. “Do you want to change it?” the integrity in his voice made Korra’s heart quicken as she caught his soft gaze. 

“No, haha. I like this movie, too,” she reassured him, relaxing her hands and shaking them. Mako hit play and they both turned to watch the movie, sitting in silence and eating quietly. Korra could feel her cheeks burning in anticipation. Had she misread his signals? And now they were sitting so far apart that it was embarrassing. Before they were...whatever they were...they’d sit closer than this! The princess was unable to focus her attention on the movie, mind racing with thoughts about the situation she had found herself in, occasionally drifting back to a certain heiress. Why was she so caught up on this? She barely knew her, and yet she wanted to know more. Mako was trying his best to act normal, and she was grateful for that, but the practicality of the situation was lacking. 

“M-Mako.” She burst out suddenly. 

“hmm? “ He asked, putting his dinner bowl down on the table and tearing his eyes away from the screen, chewing on his bottom lip absentmindedly. 

“What are we doing? I mean, am I...are you...did you…” She attempted multiple ways to start the tricky conversation. “Did you end things…with Asami?”

“Just before I came here,” he confirmed, turning to face her as the movie continued, now long forgotten. 

_Then that means... she messaged me about lunch even after Mako dumped her? Why?_

Korra pushed her thoughts of the heiress to the side. “Oh. Okay.” Was all she managed to get out. “S-sorry.”

“No need. It’s understandable why you’d ask.” He replied, draining his glass.

 _SPIRITS this is awkward!_ Korra thought to herself. Korra didn’t want to push her luck and ask Mako where they were at, a conversation they would reserve for a later time. Everything was so fresh, so raw and uncharted. She was going in blind when it came to Mako, as per usual. “Korra,” his voice calling her name pulled her out of her trance. 

“Yeah?” she turned to face him, watching as he scooted closer to her. 

“It’s you.”

“What?” 

“It’s you,” he repeated. “It just took me a stupidly long time to realize it. It’s always been you, Korra.” He leaned toward her again. Korra’s cheeks lit up in flames as he closed the distance between them, kissing her ridgid lips. “What’s wrong?” he pulled back.

“Sorry.” She grimaced. I’ve wanted this for so long I think my body just doesn’t know how to process it.” She felt her heart swell at his swoon-worthy words.

“Cute,” he replied softly, brushing her bangs out of her face gently before leaning forward again. She kissed him back shyly, shaking hands finding their way to the short tufts of his soft dark hair. She pulled gently on the nape of his neck, inciting a soft groan from his throat. Mako deepened the kiss, wrapping his arms around her waist and lifting her into his lap. “Is this what you wanted?” he mumbled against her mouth. Korra quivered in response. Why was she so nervous around him? It was just Mako. Scratch that. It was Mako. She was kissing Mako. She was in Mako’s lap, kissing him in fact. “It’s just me. You don’t have to be nervous.” He reassured her, moving to her neck. He began kissing and biting carefully down to her collar bone, pulling the collar of her shirt to the side.

“That’s _why_ i’m nervous, idiot.” She grunted, her entire body heating up as his gloved hand trailed down her arm, the other on her back pressing her into him. 

“Haha, this is so unlike you.” He remarked, pushing her hair out of her face again and kissing her cheek, then her lips again. 

“Hah. You’ve never seen this side of me,” she countered, hooking her arms around his neck. She needed to focus. This was it. All or nothing. ‘Leaving it all in the ring’ as Mako liked to say. She tried her best to push her anxiety to the side. 

“True,” Mako conceded. “I’d like to see more, if that’s okay with you,” he said gently, fingertips tracing along the waistband of her pajama bottoms. Korra sucked air into her cheeks in surprise at his boldness. She had known Mako to be quite affectionate with his romantic partners, and to see such assertiveness directed towards her was making her a shaking mess. The anticipation, so many fantasies that had previously played in her mind. Endless possibilities in front of her, just within her reach; she need only ask. 

Wordlessly, Mako tugged at Korra’s shirt. She lifted her arms and he pulled the garment slowly over her head. 

“You put on a bra?” He asked quizically, cocking his head to the side slightly as he hooked a finger under one of the thick straps. 

“Oh spirits…” Korra dropped her head into her hands. “You knew I wasn’t wearing one before?” 

“Well, it was pretty obvious,” Mako tossed her shirt onto the floor. Korra cursed under her breath at her rookie mistake, reaching behind her for the clasp of her bra. “Wait, let me,” Mako insisted, pulling her closer to him as she straddled his lap, She leaned forward, wrapping her arms around his neck as he unhooked the bra with ease. She leaned back against the armrest of the couch as Mako carefully slid the delicate undergarment down her chest and off of her arms, Korra’s chest billowing out of the fabric. 

“Fuckkkk…” Mako groaned softly, tossing the bra to the floor and turning back to face her. He placed a hot kiss on her neck again, slowly trailing down until he reached her nipple. 

“Is this okay?” he asked, kissing and nipping her skin meticulously. 

“Ah! Mhm.” Korra moaned as he tugged at her nipple, teeth grazing her skin. He cupped her other breast with one hand, tugging and sucking as Korra’s skin began to heat up.

“You have the most perfect tits I’ve ever seen,” Mako said, almost matter of factly, as he lifted his head to kiss her again. Korra blushed in response, suddenly very aware of how exposed she was in comparison to him. 

“What about this?” He asked, hooking a finger in the waistband of her shorts. “Is this okay?” Korra bit her lip, nodding furiously as Mako instructed her to turn around. She repositioned herself in his lap, leaning her back against him as he cupped her breast again, his left hand trailing down. She lifted her arm, holding the back of his neck as Mako slid against her underwear, a single digit rubbing up and down slowly. 

“Someone’s certainly excited,” he remarked, tugging at her nipple again as she opened her mouth to snarkily reply, effectively shutting her up.

“Please…” she begged, pulling her shorts down along with her underwear.

“So eager... “ Mako chuckled, stroking his index and middle finger down the entrance of her sex. 

“Mako!” she whined, her frustration at his teasing quickly building. 

“You’re so cute when you moan for me,” he sneered, gliding his fingers into her.

“Ah! Fuck!” She moaned, her head rolling over Makos shoulder to the side. The sensation of Mako’s gloved hand added a bit of friction as he pumped in and out of her, curling his fingers just enough to make her buck her hips into them. “Just like that!” She cried out.

“Spirits, you’re a screamer, aren’t you?” his fingers glided out of her, webbed together from Korra’s juices. “Look at the mess you made of my gloves, babe,” he feigned a sigh, popping his fingers in his mouth and licking them clean, tongue brushing against the soaked fabric.

Korra twitched at the removal of stimulation, his words alone threatening to push her over the edge as she watched him taste her. Who knew awkward, bumbling Mako could be so...

“Sit up,” he commanded, lifting her from his lap and placing her on the edge of the couch. Korra watched breathlessly as he sat on the floor, roughly yanking her towards him and hooking her legs over his shoulders. They made eye contact, and Korra nodded squeamishly as he dove down, the permission granted. Korra shivered as he stretched her open, running his hands up and down her thighs as he slowly revealed his tongue. 

He started with one long lick, just enough to rile her up again before moving back up to focus on her center. Korra bucked into his face gently as he kissed and sucked her walls sloppily, eyes fluttering closed as he focused on his work. 

“F-fuck!” Korra sputtered out, her thighs slightly squeezing around his head as he continued, the slight pressure only turning him on more. Korra’s hands found their way to his head, grabbing fistfuls of his hair as he looked up at her, darting his tongue back and forth on her center. She panted, a small smile on her lips as she tugged harder on his hair. He lifted a hand up to her stomach, searching blindly for her breast again. As he began to suck on her clit, he tugged sharply on her nipple, causing Korra to cry out again in surprise. 

“Hmmm,” Mako moaned, circling his tongue rapidly over her clit, his thumb tracing her entrance. He lifted his head again, taking enormous pleasure in the shuddering mess he had turned his best friend into. Korra had turned her head away from him, arm covering her reddened face as she panted. Embarrassed by her squeamishness, she avoided his gaze.

“Look at me,” he commanded. She glanced over at him, wondering why he had stopped so suddenly, only for her eyes to roll back into her head as he plunged his fingers even deeper inside of her. He lowered his mouth again, sucking and licking rapidly as he began to pump faster, peering up at her as his lips curved over her pussy.

“H-harder…” Korra moaned weakly. Mako eagerly complied, curling his fingers a bit more and slamming into her. 

“Oh! Right there right there right there!” She yelled rapidly as Mako tilted his head slightly to the side, licking beside his moving fingers. 

“Right here?” he paused his movements, tracing a small lick on Korra’s sweet spot. Korra nodded rapidly, pushing his head back down as she saw a wicked glint in his eye. He began again slowly, tantilizingly as Korra complained. 

“I’m going to make you cum harder than you ever have in your entire fucking life,” Mako groaned inbetween sucks, adding another finger and increasing his pace. At those words, Korra felt an all too familiar pressure begin to build in her stomach.

“Mako-I-I-” she warned. Mako quickened his pace further, pumping wildly and swirling his tongue faster and faster around her clit. Korra’s hips began to shake, and Mako lifted up quickly to clasp his hand around her throat, the other rubbing her roughly as she reached her peak. The restriction of air caused Korra to go light headed and her eyes rolled all the way back into her head, her all encompassing orgasm drowning out all other senses except pleasure. 

“Ohhh!” Korra moaned, her legs twitched against Mako’s sides as he squeezed her throat tighter, cum leaking onto his fingers as Korra caught her breath. Mako dove down again, lapping up every last drop as Korra quivered into his touch, left a shaking mess. He released her throat, and she gasped for air as her vision began to return to normal.

“Holy shit…” was all she managed to get out, falling back on the couch as she suddenly became acutely aware of the movie, her nakedness, and that her best friend had just made her come.

“That didn’t take much,” Mako teased, peeling his dirtied fingerless gloves off of his hands and getting up to go to the sink. He tossed the gloves onto the floor next to Korra’s clothes as she lay on the couch still trying to catch her breath. Mako lathered his hands up with dish soap, pleased at how well she had responded to him.

“I’m curious, are you usually this quick?” Mako grinned at how long she was taking to recover. “Because,” he made his way back over to the couch, kneeling in front of her once more. “I still have some other things I’d like to try out on you.” He lifted her leg over his shoulder again, leaning over her to brush her bangs from her face again.

“I’m all tapped out…” Korra sighed heavily, lower body still hypersensitive to Mako’s touch. He rubbed her thighs softly. 

“You sure?” She nodded her head assuringly as he swung her leg back over his head and stood back up. He bent down to grab her clothing, handing it to her and watching as she regained her dignity. It wasn’t lost on her that Mako remained fully clothed, no obvious signs of the favor being expected to be returned. As if it was the most natural thing in the world, Mako sunk back down onto the couch, dropping his head to Korra’s chest to her surprise. He positioned himself between her legs, wrapping his arms around her and snuggling into her feverish skin. Korra wrapped her legs around his lower back, brushing her fingers through his silky hair as he refocused on the movie. 

“Do you want me to…return the favor?” she asked quietly.

“I already...this morning. I’m too tired to do it again, to be quite honest with you.”

“Oh…” Korra remarked, her thoughts instantly turning to Asami’s cherry red lips wrapped around Makos-

“No, no. By myself, I mean.” He reassured her, turning to look up at her. 

“Oh, yeah. No, I get it.” Korra nodded her head, the satisfaction and fatigue of her orgasm beginning to overtake her. She was still a mess of emotions, and despite it still being so early in the evening, she felt her eyes begin to droop as the comforting weight of Mako’s warm body lulled her. 

“Next time I will be taking you up on that offer.” He mumbled quietly, turning his head back to the TV. Before she felt herself start to really drift off, her curiosity overtook her as she reached for her phone to type out a quick message. 

**Instagram**

**@korrathelegend**

**Lunch tomorrow sounds perfect :)**


	13. Chapter 13

She couldn’t tell him. How would it look to be meeting up with Mako’s ex for lunch after what they did last night? Not to mention the fact that he had basically confirmed he ended his relationship with Asami _for_ Korra. Which is why the water tribe woman was staring intensely at her boots, her fur lined sweater whipping in the wind as she waded through the crowds of downtown Republic City to meet her lunch date. What had compelled her to actually attend this meeting? Some sort of morbid curiosity? She had to know why the heiress had insisted on seeing her despite her ties to Mako being severed. What was the motivation?

Upon stepping into the restaurant that Asami had chosen, Korra looked around in a panic to realize she was horribly under dressed. Groups of patrons dressed in business casual and other levels of slightly sophisticated attire were scattered about the eatery, conversing over cocktails and elaborately plated dishes.

“Oh, fuck me.” Korra muttered under her breath, scanning the room for the heiress.

“Excuse me miss,” the host at the front of the restaurant testily addressed her. “Do you have a reservation?” 

“Oh...um. I’m meeting Asami Sato?” Korra turned to face the employee, who’s eyebrows raised slightly at the implication. 

“Right this way,” he said curtly, stalking off to the back of the restaurant with Korra stumbling behind. The host led her to a private room down the hallway, frosted glass windows only revealing the outline of a woman sat alone at a long, glass table, sipping a drink and scrolling through her phone. Korra took a deep breath, thanking the worker and receiving no reply as she swung open the heavy doors of the room.

“Korra!” Asami greeted her, standing up from the table. She hugged her politely, which Korra returned awkwardly. “Please, '' she extended an arm in gesture. “Sit down.”

“Thanks.” Korra slid into the seat, wondering if she should try to joke about her attire to ease her discomfort. “I hope you weren’t waiting too long.” She cursed herself for not googling the restaurant beforehand, or merely assuming it would be more upscale since Asami had chosen it. “Sorry about yesterday,” Korra offered, lifting the glass of water in front of her to her lips.

“Oh, it’s fine, honestly. We were pretty casual anyway-” Asami replied wistfully. Korra choked on her water as it went down the wrong pipe at the woman’s words. 

“Spirits. Are you okay?” Asami’s hand pressed to her chest in concern, her well groomed eyebrows furrowed. 

“Um...yeah. It went down the wrong tube.” Korra coughed into her fist again. “I was referring to canceling on you for tea.” Korra wiped the corner of her mouth on the sleeve of her sweater, running a shaky hand through her short hair to push her bangs out of her face. She was unable to meet Asami’s emerald gaze, intimidated in every sense of the word. 

“Oh, right…” Asami dropped her gaze, swishing her hair behind her shoulder. Korra peered at her over the rim of the water glass, studying her as she zoned out. Asami had chosen a see through silk button down shirt paired with a tight little skirt and stockings to match. Korra had never seen such a fine pair of legs, and judging by what she had seen the businesswoman in during their previous encounters, she liked to show them off. Korra swallowed as Asami’s eyes darted back over to meet hers, her sweeping lashes casting shadows down her cheeks from the moody lighting of the restaurant. “So then, Mako told you.” Asami’s gentle demeanor somehow projected a demanding presence, further intimidating Korra as she finished off her glass of water. The fire nation woman looked at her expectantly, twisting the celery stalk in her bloody mary around the rim of the glass absentmindedly.

“Yeah…” Korra nodded, her head whipping to the side as the doors to the room opened and a couple of waiters entered with trays of food. 

“Miss Sato, is there anything else we can get for you at this time?” One of the waiters asked as the other finished placing the various dishes on the table. 

“Would you like something else to drink?” Asami turned to ask Korra, who shook her head in response as a pounding flash of headache reminded her of her previous drunken stupor. 

“I’ll stick with water,” Korra nodded politely as the other waiter filled her glass.

“I think that’s everything, then. Thank you,” Asami smiled dazzlingly. Soon after they were alone again, and Asami’s face twisted expectantly again as she watched Korra stare intently at the table. “And what did he tell you, exactly? Everything? I suppose I shouldn’t be shocked, considering you’re-”

“He didn’t tell me anything!” Korra burst out frantically, causing Asami’s gaze to flicker back to the watertribe girl curiously. “I mean,” Korra swallowed. “All he said was that it was over. Mako is my best friend, but we don’t really talk about things like...like that. I mean, when you guys first started going out, he didn’t even tell me he was seeing anyone.” Korra cringed deeply, realizing she had chosen the wrong words as Asami’s face fell. She watched as the beautiful woman leaned forward wordlessly, spooning some noodles onto her plate and popping a small piece of meat into her mouth.

“He didn’t mention me at all?” she wondered aloud. Korra couldn’t reply, mentally chastising herself for her foot-in-mouth syndrome when it came to Asami. Why did she make her so nervous? Suddenly, Asami giggled quietly to herself. “Oh for Yangchen’s sake, this conversation wouldn’t pass the Bechdel test, would it?” She continued to giggle, taking food off of the various platters and loading her plate. “That’s not even why I invited you out. Let’s forget about that.” Her gaze flicked up to Korra again, who tried her best to meet her eyes. 

“O-oh?” Korra forced a casual tone as she snapped her chopsticks apart and started to load up her plate. 

“No. I get that you guys are super close, but that doesn’t have anything to do with us, right?” She sipped her drink. Korra shoved some noodles into her mouth.

“No, not really,” she said, chewing the noodles and swallowing slowly. The flavor was incredible, but she couldn’t focus on it to properly appreciate it as the air surrounding them became heavy.

“I’m so glad,” Asami remarked, setting her glass down. “Because, I think we could grow to be fast friends.” She picked at her plate absentmindedly, not watching Korra for her response.

“I’ve never really had a girlfriend before…” Korra admitted. 

“Really?” Asami leaned forward a bit in surprise. 

“Yeah, I um...I grew up pretty isolated. I didn’t really have any friends as a kid. When I came to Republic City, I was so obviously from out of town. Mako was actually the very first friend I made at school here. My first friend ever, actually…” Korra’s voice trailed off as the severity of the situation began to sink in. She had let her curiosity overwhelm her logic, being swept away by Asami’s charm. Wouldn’t Mako dislike them becoming friends? It would be way too awkward. And if Asami found out she and Mako were...whatever they were...surely she wouldn't want to be friends. But for some reason, Asami’s approval was something Korra had begun to crave. “And then Bolin, of course.”

“I grew up pretty isolated, too…” Asami remarked between bites.

“Oh really? Are you close with your parents, then?” 

“Me and my dad are. My mom passed away when I was little.” 

“Oh, I’m sorry…” Korra grimaced.

“Oh, no no. It’s fine.” Asami waved her hand. “It was a really long time ago. Are you close with your parents?”

“Yeah, I like to think so. I’m an only child, too. Apparently I was quite the handful. I think they would’ve had more if I wasn’t so rambunctious.” Korra laughed as she shoved more noodles into her mouth.

“I don’t know much about the Water tribes, but yes, I bet it was a major culture shock for you to move here. Your parents seem really laid back to let you come to school instead of immediately starting up with royal duties.” Korra’s mouth fell open slightly.

“Oh, yeah...you know about me?” Korra muttered shyly as she always did when her status was revealed. 

“Yeah, I don’t think you’re as incognito as you think you are,” Asami grinned, glancing over to her for her reaction. “But then again, we technically run in similar circles. I’m surprised your parents didn’t debut you in Republic City High Society before you came to school.”

“Absolutely not.” Korra said sternly. “I would’ve had to have security with me all the time and it would’ve been so much unnecessary attention. I don’t even want to think about it. Blech.” Korra stuck her tongue out slightly at the idea. 

“I know what that’s like,” Asami subtly tilted her head across the room to a back hallway that led to a private bathroom, the quiet outline of a man in a suit leaning against the wall. Korra nodded understandingly.

“The only reason I got away without the full security detail is because the average citizen doesn’t know shit about the tribes. We’ve been pretty separate in the recent years.” 

“For what reason?”

“A lot of political mumbo jumbo. I’m from the Southern Tribe, and the North is our sister tribe. There’s been talks of officially declaring independence in the south, but I’m not really sure how my father intends to deal with that. One day, when I’m chief, I suppose I’ll become more Involved. I want to stay as average as I can for as long as possible.” Asami nodded. “So, yeah, not that many people know I definitely like flying under the radar.” Korra concluded, reaching for the plate of steamed vegetables.

“No you don’t. If that were true you wouldn’t be a burgeoning pro athlete.” Asami retorted, a slight teasing revealing itself in her tone.

“Damn, I guess you’re right!” Korra laughed openly, the weight of the conversation lifting from the directional shift as she finally began to feel comfortable in the woman’s presence. “It’s different, though. On the team, I get to prove myself and be acknowledged for my own skills and accomplishments. Being a- a princess…” Korra paused to gag slightly. “It’s just because I was born into a certain family. I don’t really see any reason to be given special treatment or expect that automatically, just because of my lineage. It’s not really something I can control.” She finished thoughtfully. “Like I said, I’m just trying to get everything out of my system now before I have to take the throne and all that jazz.”

“I get that. Sometimes I worry that I won’t be able to uphold my father’s legacy once Future Industries is handed down to me. Like I’ll run it into the ground and ruin everything,” Asami admitted.

“Isn’t it so great to have our futures completely mapped out for us?” Korra said sarcastically, her falsely brightened tone earning a light smile from her lunch date.

“I’d just like to live up to, if not exceed my father’s expectations. I want to prove myself and be acknowledged, like you said.” She nodded thoughtfully, loading more food onto her plate.

“I guess we have more in common than I thought,” Korra remarked. They sat in silence for a bit as Korra let her thoughts drift. It would be nice to have a girl to hang out with. One that had a semblance of understanding in their respective positions as women with their destinies mapped out already. Perhaps it would be beneficial to talk to someone that actually knew the immense amount of pressures she was under.

“I had a feeling we would,” Asami flashed a brilliant smile at her, causing Korra to blush. _Her teeth are so straight and white! And that smile! Wow._ Korra felt her heart thump as Asami let her gaze drift again. What was this feeling?

“Thanks for inviting me to lunch. I’m glad we got the chance to talk,” Korra smiled lightly, tipping her head to the side. Asami returned the gesture.

“We’ll have to do something again soon. Maybe you can come hang out at my place for a girls night.”

“Yeah, and maybe this time I can exercise some self control and not puke in one of your guest bedrooms.” Korra joked comfortably, clearing her plate. Asami giggled lightly at this, reaching across the table to touch Korra’s hand. 

“That party certainly got a bit out of hand, didn’t it?” Asami sighed, pulling her hand away from the gentle contact that electrified Korra’s skin.

“Yeah...my bad…” Korra pulled her hand away, flexing and stretching it under the table to get it to wake up.

“Who was that guy that was in the room with you? I know you said he wasn’t your boyfriend, but-” Asami cut herself off after seeing Korra’s wincing face. “Sorry. Touchy subject?”

“No…” Korra’s voice trailed off. “He’s… I don’t even know what he is. A fuck buddy that caught feelings?” She leaned her head into her hand frustratingly, a pout forming on her lips.

“Oh, I see. That always complicates things.”

“Yeah, and he dropped the bomb while I was completely inebriated. I feel really bad for how I reacted, though. I just don’t think we’re compatible in the long term.”

“He’s not prince material?” Asami teased lightly.

“Shut up!” Korra smiled at her. “Tahno would make a really good prince actually...And he’s of water tribe descent, so- ew, why am I thinking like this. I hate you!” Korra picked up a piece of bread from the table and gently tossed it at Asami in a playful manner. 

“Hey now!” Asami grinned, lifting her hand to swat away the food as her hair swished behind her. “Have you guys talked since then?” 

“He called me and left a voicemail, but I haven’t responded. I just have no idea what to say. Everything is so awkward now.” _And not just with Tahno, either._

“Yeah, I bet. Maybe the next time you see him will help you figure it out, though.” 

“Ah, I hope so!” Korra replied, lifting her head from her hand. “It’s so weird, since coming to RC I’ve had so many new experiences. I never had this kind of social interaction growing up. Dealing with emotions and things feels icky sometimes,” Korra stuck out her tongue playfully. 

“Hah! I know exactly what you mean. Especially when it comes to romance.” Korra waved her hand off in agreeance. 

“Modern romance is an absolute sham,” Korra remarked. “No one actually says or does shit they really mean. I’d be hard pressed to find-” her thoughts instantly turned to Mako. “Anyways...I’d like to return to my state of repose, or something near it. I’m tired of being stressed about other people all the time. How they think and feel towards me. Overthinking my words and actions because of other people’s reactions. I thought my time away from princess duties would be the _opposite._ But it turns out life as a college student and life as a princess is eerily similar, in certain ways.”

“I never would’ve guessed that, to be quite honest. It must be lonely not having someone to relate to in that regard.” 

“Well, I have my cousins…” Korra’s thoughts drifted to her extended family and their strained relationships. “But we’re not very close. They honestly kinda creep me out. And they smell like a grandma’s attic.” Asami chuckled at this, finishing off her bloody mary and moving on to crunching down on the celery stick. 

“You’ll have to explain how the tribe’s hierarchy works. The only experience I have with watertribe culture is one of my father’s business associates, and I don’t think he’s a very good example…” _Do the thing!_ Asami thought.

“Absolutely. That reminds me, one thing I’ve loved since being in the city is being able to experience the different cultural influences of all of the nations. I really love fire nation food!” Korra exclaimed excitedly. 

“Oh yeah? What’s your favorite dish?” Asami asked.

“Can’t go wrong with a good Komodo-chicken stir fry. And some fire flakes sprinkled on top, of course.” Korra grinned.

“I put fire flakes on everything!” Asami’s hand gestured towards her chest in agreeance.

“Right? It even goes great on water tribe food! I really like to cook, and learning about all of these new techniques and recipes from all of the nations has been really fun for me. I love trying out new fusion dishes.”

“Wow, you cook?”

“Yeah, my mom taught me everything I know. She wanted me to still have some practical skills, and I guess that came in handy since I ended up going to college pretty far away from home.” Korra sighed contentedly. “Had to learn how to take care of myself.”

“I’m absolutely hopeless in the kitchen. Maybe you can teach me the basics sometime?” Asami asked, leaning forward in her chair.

“I’d be happy to!” Korra said excitedly, always ready to flex her skills. 

The two women continued to chatter away happily, and Korra was pleasantly surprised by how easy the executive was to talk to. They parted with tentative plans for another meeting, and Korra felt lighter on her feet than she had in days. 

It was late afternoon when she returned to her apartment as she noticed Opals green Satomobile parked in the designated spot. This was it, the confrontation. She clenched her jaw, unsure of what to say or how to go about things. There were so many things she wanted to tell her roommate, but she needed to apologize first. It was the worst fight they had ever had, and she hated to consider how much suffering her actions had caused to both parties. After taking a deep, shaky breath, she unlocked her front door and stepped inside. 

“Opal?” She called out.


	14. Chapter 14

Korra stepped into the apartment, every step more painful than the last as she peered around the corner of the entryway. Her roommate was sitting on the couch in her usual spot, the room eerily silent as she scrolled through her phone. 

“Opal.” Korra repeated. She heard Opal inhale sharply before standing up and turning around. 

“Hi…” Opal said awkwardly, unsure of where to begin.

“If it’s okay, I’d like to talk about things…” Korra began, forcing the words out. Opal nodded slowly, a worried look stretched across her face. 

“My last apology wasn’t a good one, and I’m really sorry for that. I want to apologize for everything up until now. Everything I said before was out of anger. I used things you told me in confidence against you. That was really fucked up of me.” Korra stopped to catch her breath, attempting to articulate her thoughts properly. “I’m really sorry for overstepping boundaries with your family and stuff. I’ve been thinking a lot these past few days, and everything you said about me was right.”

“No wait,” Opal interrupted. “Korra, I-”

“Let me finish,” Korra dismissed her, and Opal’s mouth snapped shut. “I’m not saying that to garner any pity. I’ve been a really bad friend lately. I know it’s not an excuse, but I’ve been really struggling. And I don’t know why exactly…there’s so many things, I guess. I’m trying to figure that out. I just know I’ve been taking it out on everyone around me, and it’s not fair at all. So I want to properly apologize for hurting your feelings and for making you feel like I was dragging you around and forcing you into things.” Korra stepped closer to the girl. Opal had wrapped her arms around herself protectively as she looked at the floor, unable to meet Korra’s eyes. “I’m going to try harder to understand people’s feelings and comfort levels. I feel bad that I’ve just been steamrollering over people in favor of my own thoughts and desires, and making people feel like they just have to go along with whatever I want. It’s really disrespectful of me. That’s not what friends do.” Opal remained silent. “Anyways, I really am sorry, for leaving you at the party, and saying those things...and I’m sorry for yelling at you, and I really hope that you can forgive me for everything up to now, because I love you a lot and I don’t want things to change between us.” Tears began to spring from Opal’s eyes as she rushed forward and closed the distance between them. 

“I’m so sorry!” Opal’s sweet voice cried out as Korra surprisedly wrapped her arms around her friend. “I’m sorry for all of those horrible things I said! I should’ve told you what was bothering me instead of letting it build up and lashing out at you!” Opal sobbed into Korra’s chest. Korra patted her back awkwardly, shocked at how emotional Opal had gotten. “I took out my frustrations on you too. The truth is, I was so hurt and embarrassed about the Bolin situation, and I know that wasn’t your fault. And I know you would never purposely try to hurt me or embarass me. You were just trying to help me out by giving me a little push, and I honestly need that sometimes, so you don’t have to be sorry about that. I don’t feel like you drag me around. Not for the most part, anyways. Please forgive me, Korra.”

“It’s okay, Opal. Thanks for saying that. It’s a big relief,” Korra smiled half heartedly as her roommate pulled away from her, their arms still wrapped around each other. 

“Everything I said was out of jealousy…” Opal said admittedly, dropping her arms and stepping away from Korra. “The Bolin thing was just the last straw I guess, but that doesn’t make it ok. I’m so sorry. You’re just so confident and pretty and cool and talented, I just-”

“Woah, woah, woah,” Korra held her hands up, closing her eyes. “Opal. You are one of the most beautiful, intelligent, and talented girls in the entire world. If Bolin can’t see that, then he’s a complete idiot.”

“Thanks, Korra,” Opal blushed in embarrassment, green eyes blinking as long lashes swept up and down her cheeks. “But you-”.

“Nuh-uh-uh!” Korra tutted her tongue and wagged a finger to stop the girl from continuing. “You are Opal fucking Beifong, the baddest bitch I know. There’s no need to compare. Just because we have different talents doesn’t mean one of us is better than the other. You think I don’t get jealous of how pretty and feminine and sweet you are? Sometimes I feel like people-especially on the team-view me as one of the guys. And I wish I was more like you. Just because I’m ‘confident’ doesn’t mean I don’t ever get insecure. So don’t get it twisted,” Korra grinned lightly, placing a reassuring hand on Opal’s shoulder. “I say we just forget everything we said and move on. I forgive you, and I hope you forgive me.” Opal nodded slowly. 

“Of course I forgive you.” Tears formed in the corners of her eyes again. Korra smiled reassuringly at her again.

“I feel like we needed to have a conversation like this to understand more where each other is coming from. Granted, I could've gone without the fight. I hate what I said, and I hate the contention it caused…”

“Its my fault, I shouldn’t have-”

“Nobody’s at more fault here. We both said shit we didn’t really mean. I just want us to be cool,” Korra insisted.

“We are now,” Opal confirmed. They shared another hug, Korra nearly shedding tears at the elation that the relief of their makeup brought on.

“I missed you very much,” Korra noted. “I have so much to tell you.” 

“Oh?” Opal replied excitedly. They made their way to the couch and Korra filled Opal in on everything with Asami and Mako.

“Of course on the weekend we’re beefing, all this shit goes down.” Opal buried her head into her hands. “I’m sorry you had to deal with all of that on your own.”

“It’s fine, Korra sighed, leaning back into the couch. 

“But, holy light spirit! Mako likes you back!” Opal said excitedly. “Then are you guys…?”

“I don’t know!” Korra threw her arms up in the air exasperatedly. “When I asked him about Asami, he just quickly said it was over, and that was it. And when Asami glossed over it at lunch, she seemed really dismissive of it as well. I’m getting the feeling that they’re not telling me something. And I feel weirdly guilty about everything.”

“Do you feel like you broke them up?” Opal asked gently, but probingly.

“I mean, I guess I technically did…” Korra sighed. “I do feel bad about that, but Asami said they were only casual? I dunno...when it was brought up, she looked so crestfallen. I guess I just feel guilty and weird about  _ everything.  _ I have no idea how Mako’s going to react about my friendship with his ex. I’m not sure if I wanna tell him, but isn’t it bad to start a relationship keeping secrets?” Korra turned to face Opal, her eyebrows furrowed. “Does he even want a relationship? UGH!” Korra threw her body back against the couch again, shutting her eyes and rubbing her temples. “And, I feel bad for Asami too. This poor girl just wanted to be friends with me, and I went and stole her boyfriend. And she still wants to be my friend? She’s going to drop me like a hot potato when she realizes Mako dumped her for me. I feel like shit.” 

“Well, don’t get too worked up over it just yet. You should talk to them, first. Get the full story on the breakup, then maybe you can come clean about things, if that’s what you want to do. I don’t know how Mako will react to a friendship, but Asami needs to know the truth about you and Mako if you’re going to pursue one with her.” Opal said smoothly. 

“You’re right,” Korra conceded quietly. “I’m just worried there won't be a friendship to tell Mako about, after I confess to her.”

“It’ll be okay,” Opal said weakly, unsure of what other comfort she could offer her friend. 

“It’s just, having someone like Asami want to be friends with me is so…” Korra’s voice trailed off. “She’s incredible, Opal. She’s so gorgeous and successful. And she has the most perfect legs I’ve ever seen. How are they so long? I just-” Korra cut herself off, blushing as she caught Opal’s questioning gaze.

“And, ugh...you’ll never guess what happened with Tahno.” She coughed awkwardly, changing the subject from gushing over the heiress.

“Oh spirits…” Opal groaned, letting Korra change the subject with ease and dropping her head into her hands again. “What happened?”

“Well, I made a big show of us going to hook up in the bathroom in front of Mako.” Opal grinned knowingly at Korra’s insanity. “And after we...finished…” Korra blushed as Opal anticipated the rest of the story. “He got all weird and clingy. He wanted me to go hang out with his friends and stuff.”

“What do you mean? That’s not that weird?” Opal wondered. 

“No but listen,” Korra continued. “So I was getting sick and going kinda buckwild in front of a bunch of people, and Mako rescued me, and that’s kinda where everything started. Because remember how I said in our fight in Asami’s dad’s office I kept telling him he had feelings for me and he was denying it? Mako finally admitted that he had feelings for me and we kissed. And then he told me to sleep it off and left. And I guess Tahno saw me making an ass of myself when Mako rescued me, because he came into the room to check on me too. And then Asami came in with some meds for me and asked me if Tahno was my BF, and T was  _ pissed  _ when I said he wasn’t.” Korra said.

“What the hell?” Opal replied in confusion as Korra nodded.

“And he was like, ‘oh now’s the perfect time to tell Korra I caught feelings!’” Korra imitated Tahno’s low, smooth drawl. Her roommate giggled at the impression.

“Sprits, is he insane?” Opal asked incredulously. 

“Dude I just feel so bad. My brain was so fried from everything, that’s when I just got up and left. He was  _ crying.  _ I didn’t know what to do. Fuck.” Korra rubbed her head again, a headache beginning to manifest in the front left of her forehead. “Like, it was so obvious it was JUST a hookup. That’s what it’s always been. But I feel bad I’ve been so mean to him...I’m just so confused…”

“I’m so sorry...If I had known…” Opal trailed off.

“It’s fine, Opal. Seriously. I should’ve at least texted you I was leaving. My head was just spinning. Anyways, I think that just about catches you up.” Korra huffed.

“Damn. A girl goes home for a weekend and misses literally everything.” She sighed jokingly.

“Oh, yeah? How did that go,” Korra took the opportunity to change the subject.

“Oh...it was fine. Nothing newsworthy…” Opal replied unconvincingly. Korra decided it was best to not pry.

“Well, sometimes that’s better than drama, right?” Korra forced a smile.

“Right…” Opal replied. “More importantly, when are you seeing Mako again?” 

“Ugh...we were supposed to get dinner but he hasn’t messaged me all day. But we have the scrimmage tomorrow, so I guess I’ll see him then…”

“I bet you guys are gonna fuck in the locker room after the match.”

“OPAL!” Korra smacked her roommate's arm for her crassness. Opal laughed, her hand gently draped over her mouth as Korra stared at her incredulously, before breaking out into a smile and laughing along with her. The weight between them had lifted, and Korra was grateful to bask in the forgiveness of the Zaofu native. As if on command, her phone began to ring.

“Oh my spirits it’s him!” Korra practically squealed. 

“ANSWER!” Opal squealed back.

“Fuck. Okay, Okay,” Korra answered, clicking the call on speaker mode as Opal sat with her hand over her mouth.

“Korra,” Mako’s gentle voice greeted her. “I’ve missed you all day...maybe because I’ve touched you.” Korra’s cheeks burned at his words as she quickly took him off speaker and pressed the phone to her ear, trying not to die of embarrassment as Opal tried to stop her howling laughter with her hands. 

“WHAT. THE. HELL!” Opal whisper-shouted, her face stretched into a wide grin.

“Haha, um, yeah,” Korra said awkwardly. 

“Do you still want to get dinner?” Mako asked with quiet sincerity. 

“Yeah, do you wanna pick me up in say, an hour?” Korra offered, trying not to get too excited. 

“Yeah, sounds good.” Mako remarked. “Did you-”

“Okay see you then bye!” Korra cut him off, quickly, hanging up and flinging her phone away from her onto the carpet.

“Holy light spirit! ‘Maybe because I’ve touched you’?” Opal erupted into a fit of giggles.

“Shut up and help me pick something to wear,” Korra playfully smacked her, lifting off of the couch and sliding into her room, Opal trailing behind.


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> cw: mild smut
> 
> I drew what their date night outfits looked like in my head so you can get a better visual. Poses reffed from clothing catalogues! I'd like to make more art for other chapters possibly, If I'm inspired/have the time.

Korra smacked her lips nervously in the mirror as Opal twisted a strand of hair around the curling iron she wielded. 

“Do I look too done up?” Korra wondered aloud, watching as Opal let the tendril fall into a soft wave. 

“Absolutely not. You look super hot!” She exclaimed. 

“But I don’t even know if he’s taking me to a fancy restaurant. What if he shows up in jeans and a t-shirt?” Korra said anxiously, rubbing her finger up her still-wet eyelashes and reaching for her mascara tube again to reapply another layer.

“Nah, he’s probably gonna take you somewhere more upscale since he’s trying to get laid.” Opal said matter of factly, twisting another section of hair around the barrel of the iron.

“OPAL!” Korra shouted, her cheeks turning redder than the blush she had applied. 

“Don’t worry, I’ll make sure to be out of here by then. You’ll have the place to yourselves.”

“Spirits...where are you running off to?” Korra groaned.

“Gonna get a headstart on this essay I have coming up. I’m just gonna chill at the library till pretty late,” her roommate confirmed. 

“Do you really think he’s gonna try to initiate sex tonight?” Korra muttered in a hushed tone, screwing the cap of the mascara closed.

“Close your eyes,” Opal instructed, reaching for the hairspray and applying a light dusting over Korra’s hair. “And yes.”

“But he was so weird last night when I tried to escalate things…” The princess remarked, running her fingers through her hair to break up the waves.

“Well, you know Mako. He’s probably just waiting to make things official before you guys take the next step or something. You know how he’s been with his past partners.”

“Ugh, yeah. He was so annoying.” Korra rolled her eyes. “Sometimes he acts like such an old man.”

“Aw, I think it’s sweet how responsible he is. And he’s so respectful.” Opal remarked absentmindedly, redoing a strand of hair that had fallen a bit too loose.

“Are you sure Bolin is the brother you like?” Korra teased, tapping a fluffy brush into her compact to dust a coat of setting powder over her skin.

“You’re hilarious,” Opal said flatly, piecing Korra’s hair to frame her face.

“Don’t worry, I’m going to make that happen.” Korra said firmly.

“Korra!” Opal protested in a warning tone, which Korra waved off.

“Shhhh, just let me work my magic.” She said dismissively.

“I told you, he likes y-”

“Ah ah ah!” Korra tutted. “Even if that’s true, which it’s not,” she said through gritted teeth, willing Opal to be wrong. “We will fix that.”

“Oh, spirits,” Opal grinned, knowing it was useless to argue once Korra set her mind to something. With the added weight of their argument and eventual mutual understanding, she knew Korra would make a more conscious effort to not trample any boundaries, so she wasn’t overly worried.

Suddenly, a knock came from the front door. 

“I’ll get it,” Opal said in a teasing tone as pins and needles washed over Korra’s entire body. She exhaled deeply, attempting to regain her confident composure as she stepped into a pair of strappy black heels. 

“Hey, Mako!” She heard her roommate greet the boy with an overly nice voice before she stepped back into Korra’s bathroom.

“His old man ass came all the way to the front door? He could’ve just texted.” Korra snorted, slipping her phone and keys into her purse and giving her appearance one last look. She tossed her hair behind her as she turned to face Opal, who was giving her a thumbs up.

“Stopppp. Be grateful he’s such a gentleman!” Opal whined. Korra grinned, rolling her eyes. As she stepped into the living room, Mako couldn’t help but let his mouth unhinge at the sight of her. 

“Oh spirits. Too much?” Korra groaned, slinging her purse over her exposed shoulder. Mako’s mind went blank as he attempted to formulate a response to Korra’s satin black number; a spaghetti strap ruched bodycon dress with side tassels that came up to the middle of her thigh. Her breasts were exposed just enough to pique a bit of interest, and her hair was curled in loose waves that Mako had never seen on her before, in addition to the tasteful makeup that was another rare sight on his best friend. She was breathtaking. Opal came up behind her, grabbing her bag off of the living room couch and swinging her keys in her hand. 

“You kids have fun!” She grinned, shuffling past Mako and out the door, flashing Korra a silly face behind him as she left. 

“Uh...no! No! It’s not, uh… it’s not too much!” Mako stammered, shifting his weight between his feet as he desperately tried to stave off the explicit thoughts running through his mind. The dress was lovely, but he wanted to rip it off of her right then and there. Korra nodded slowly, unsure of how to proceed. “You look really, really beautiful,” Mako said sincerely, stepping toward her and kissing her cheek in greeting. 

“Ok, good.” Korra said embarrassedly. “I mean, thanks. You’re looking pretty handsome yourself,” she remarked, Mako’s gray suit making his eyes even more piercing. He grinned lightly at her as she reached up to touch his crunchy, gelled hair before planting a kiss on his mouth. He smiled deeply as she pulled away, any reservations melting away at her reassurance. 

“After you,” Mako flirted, opening the door for his date. After locking the door behind them, Mako hurried over to his car so he could open the passenger door for her.

“You’re such a dork,” Korra teased, shaking her head lightly and ignoring her racing heart as Mako smiled at her again. She wanted to make sure it never left his face again. 

They arrived at the restaurant, the valet taking Mako’s car as they made their way to the host stand. As Mako relayed the reservation information to the employee, Korra let her eyes wander. The restaurant was certainly upscale indeed; intricate glass walls and tasteful, modern decor accenting the overall vibe. Through the low light of the eatery, Korra’s eyes suddenly darted over to a familiar, washed out complexion and dark curly hair. 

“FUCK!” Korra whisper-shouted under her breath, her grip on Mako’s arm tightening. On the far end of the restaurant sat none other than Tahno, across from his not-girlfriend Ga Eun. Korra’s alarm bells sounded as she watched the man poke disinterestedly at the food on his plate as his companion animatedly spoke to him. “Mako!” She turned to him frantically as the host signaled for them to follow him to their table. “We need to leave right now.”

“What? Why?” Mako’s annoyed whisper stressed Korra out further as he pulled her along.

“Tahno is sitting right. Over. there.” Korra enunciated, her throat going dry.

“So?” Mako asked, his grip on Korra’s hand tightening as the host led them in the worst possible direction. 

“So we need to LEAVE!” Korra whispered fiercely. 

“Your server will be with you shortly,” the host informed them, gesturing to a table mere yards from Tahno’s.

“Mako!” Korra whined desperately, watching him pull her chair out for her. 

“Just sit!” Mako commanded. “You’re not even facing him. He won’t even notice,” he promised, sliding into the booth side and placing his phone down on the table.

“You don’t understand!” Korra plopped down into the chair Mako had pulled out. “Something happened after you left me in Asami’s guest bedroom, and-” Korra noticed Mako visibly stiffen at the mention of his ex-girlfriend. 

“Well, it can’t possibly be any worse than fucking him in the upstairs bathroom, could it?” Mako hissed. “Now relax and just ignore him. I’m trying to take you on a proper date.” Korra’s mouth fell open at his words.

“What the fuck?” She seethed as the waitress came up to the table.

“How are you two doing tonight?” She asked as Korra crossed her arms angrily. 

“We’re doing well, thank you,” Mako gave her a polite nod. Korra’s pout deepened. 

“Can I start you out with something to drink?” She asked, handing them menus and turning to face Korra.

“I’ll have Manhattan,” she said flatly.

“And I’ll have a gin and tonic,” Mako replied. 

“Alrighty! I’ll be back to take your order.” Mako smiled politely until the waitress turned, his face instantly twisting into a frown as he looked at Korra’s sour disposition.

“You’re being an asshole,” she muttered. “That was completely uncalled for.”

“Ugh. Look, I’m sorry. I just wanted to take you out for a nice dinner, and I don’t want anything to ruin it. Please, just ignore him. You think I wanna see his stupid face here? All I can think about is…” Korra turned to face him, lips twisted into a slight grimace. Mako closed his eyes tiredly, shaking his head. “Forget it. Anyways, they look like they’re finishing up soon. Just keep your head down and hopefully he won’t notice. Let’s just try to enjoy ourselves, okay?” Korra remained silent, turning her head away again. “I’m sorry. You’re right, what I said was out of line.” Mako admitted. “It just...pisses me off.”

“Well, good.” Korra replied, uncrossing her arms. “That was the point. To get your attention.” She huffed.

“Well, it worked. Spirits, I was pissed when I saw you go into the bathroom with him. Ugh. I don’t wanna talk about it anymore.”

“And how do you think I felt seeing you with Asami?” Korra shot back, watching Mako’s face contort again at the mention of her name. “Look, the reason I don’t want him to see me is because he told me he likes me and wants to date me. And I just ran away and It was really awkward and I feel super bad.” Korra groaned, dropping her head into her hand. “If he sees me here with you…”

“So what? You were gonna see him at the scrimmage tomorrow anyways, right? Just ignore him. C’mon, Korra. Just focus on me. Us.” Mako smiled, reaching out to take her hand. “They’re gonna leave soon anyways. Just keep your eyes on me.” Korra smiled weakly at him, lifting her head out of her hand as the waiter came back with their drinks and some glasses of water. 

“I think we need a bit more time to look over the menus,” Mako said carefully.

“Absolutely! I’ll come back in a bit,” the waitress nodded before departing. Korra ripped her hand away from Mako’s, and he looked at her awkwardly as she began to pour over the menu. 

“What looks good to you?” Mako replied in a forced cheerful tone as Korra’s eyes scanned the menu. “I made sure to pick a place that has water tribe food.” Korra’s eyes darted over the menu to meet his, and he smiled gently at her. 

“Ugh, stop saying assholish things so I can enjoy your cuteness,” she groaned, her eyes returning to the menu. Mako smiled to himself again, scanning the pages himself. After a few minutes of silence spent sipping their drinks and weighing their options, the waitress returned once again.

“I’ll have the two-headed fish soup, please.” Korra asked, handing over the menu. “With fireflakes, if that’s alright,” she added, watching the waitress scribble on her notepad. Her thoughts drifted to the conversation she had with Asami about mixing flavors of the four nations in different dishes, and she smiled lightly to herself. 

“And I’ll have the roast turtle-duck,” said Mako. They sat in an awkward silence, Korra’s anxiety causing her rigid demeanor. “Are you mad at me?” he suddenly asked her.

“No,” she huffed. “I get that you were trying to make our first date special, I just don’t appreciate the rude comments about my past trysts. I don’t think it’s completely unreasonable to be upset when we are seated so closely to him given what happened.”

“I know, I know,” Mako said soothingly. “That was a dick move. I’ve just been really stressed about this. I wanted this to be perfect. I’m sorry again.” His gaze dropped to his lap.

“It’s fine…” Korra rolled her eyes, trying to relax the tension in her upper body. 

“Oh, they’re getting the check,” Mako remarked over the rim of his glass, his eyes shadily darting over to Tahno’s table. Korra dipped her head again in an attempt to camouflage herself. “And...they’re standing up…” Mako’s play by play made Korra want to jump out of her skin. “And they’re walking over to the front…” _Just leave, already!_ “Grabbing the lady’s coat…”

 _Go go go!_ “Aaanddd….gone.” Mako set his empty glass onto the table, grinning at Korra as she lifted her head, exhaling deeply. 

“I feel like I can finally breathe!” She exclaimed, her shoulders instantly relaxing. 

“Finally!” Mako smiled. They locked eyes for a moment, the intensity of his gaze causing Korra to rip her eyes away and blush. _Was Opal right? Was he expecting sex tonight? Of course, Korra wasn’t opposed to the idea, but-_

“What are you thinking about?” Mako asked her, reaching across the table for her hand again and picking up his water. _Hmm..._

“How much I want to suck your dick under this table right now,” Korra said casually, causing Mako to snort and gasp at the same time, his water spilling on the front of his red dress shirt and creating a wet spot. Mako ripped his hand out of hers and used the napkin in his lap to wipe his flustered face. Korra giggled quietly at how badly she had riled him up.

“Spirits, Korra!” He hissed, glaring at her from across the table. 

“Hehe, look at you. What a mess you’ve made of your shirt, babe,” She teased, using his previous line against him. 

“Oh-ho-ho, so that’s how you wanna play this?” Mako’s eyes darkened as his tone became more serious. “Don’t be such a brat.”

“Ha. What are you gonna do about it?” Korra challenged him, their eyes locking again as she found her confidence where it shone best. 

“Keep this up and I’ll make sure you find out.” Mako practically growled as the waitress returned with their food. Korra airily thanked the waitress, dumping the fireflakes into her soup and stirring it around with a spoon as she smiled to herself, Mako’s tense frame watching her. She had half a mind to ask him to meet her in the bathroom and have his way with her right then and there, but she held off. She wanted to have a bit more fun with him before they did the deed, and the teasing was a pleasant distraction from the anxiety she was pushing down. 

“Oh? Tell me what you want to do to me,” Korra whispered, leaning over the table and letting her chest spill out of her dress just enough to distract him. Mako’s eyes darted down for a moment before he forced them back up again, catching on to her.

“You’re playing a dangerous game, princess.” he threatened, shoving a piece of turtleduck into his mouth and chomping down, his growing erection causing his pants to tighten. 

“Ooo , throwing my title around? Maybe I should be the one to punish you,” Korra said nonchalantly, sipping her soup daintily as she watched Mako’s eyes darken again, a devious glint appearing in them. 

“You’re impossible,” Mako groaned, chewing his food in silence as Korra kept up her act, shooting him tantalizing glances over her dinner, bending down needlessly and touching his hand or cheek often. He was making this far too easy. 

They finished dinner quickly, and Korra’s eyebrows raised at how eagerly Mako refused the dessert menu and impatiently tapped his foot as they waited for the valet. 

“Who’s the impatient one, now?” She teased again, lacing their fingers together as she huddled closer to him, the late night air chilling her exposed skin.

“Keep this up. See what happens,” Mako said simply, his intense gaze making her turn into a puddle. Finally, the valet driver returned with the car, and after collecting his tip from Mako, they were on their way back to Korra’s apartment. 

“Is Opal coming home anytime soon?” Mako asked, fastening his seatbelt and putting the satomobile into drive. 

“Nope,” Korra replied, leaning over the center console and unbuckling Mako’s dress pants. 

“Korra, what are you doing?” Mako asked. “Put your seatbelt on!”

“Hush,” Korra said, unzipping his pants and reaching inside. “Holy shit.” She breathed, the sheer size of him causing her breath to hitch in her throat. _What. The. Fuck._

“W-what? What’s-” He said in a panicky voice.

“You’re fucking huge.” Korra whispered. Mako blushed furiously at her words. “I’m kind of scared.” 

“Korra, we’re in public, you can’t-Oh, ohhhhh,” Mako moaned as Korra’s lips made contact. They pulled up to a stoplight, Mako trying his best not to swerve the car from how distracted he was. Korra began to move up and down, the tip of Mako’s cock hitting the back of her throat easily. She tried her best not to gag as the car bumped along the road, hitting the back of her throat harder and harder as he hit pot holes and other things in the road. The streets were mostly empty, but at this point Mako could care less.

“Hit one more bump in the road, and I bite down,” Korra threatened, a slight popping noise forming as she lifted her head. Mako nodded breathlessly, his cheeks already red from the excitement as he drove more carefully, trying his best to focus on the road as Korra worked her magic. 

“Korra, I think I’m gonna-” Mako warned. Korra sped up, bobbing up and down rapidly as he squirmed beneath her. “I’m gonna-Ah!” She quickly pushed her head down as he shot down her throat. She swallowed, lifting her head up and grinning at him. He shot a quick glance at her, her mascara slightly smeared and her curls in disarray from the movement as they pulled up to another red light. 

“Fuck…” Mako whispered, pulling her into a hot kiss. The light turned green and he made the last turn into her apartment complex, parking crookedly and grabbing her face again. They kissed sloppily, Korra’s lips swelling from the friction as Mako pulled her into his lap, pinning her between himself and the wheel. She could feel him begin to harden again as she grinded against him, the only thing separating their skin a thin pair of lingerie panties. 

“Let’s go inside,” Korra said between kisses, climbing out of the car and pulling her dress down where it had ridden up. Mako quickly pushed himself back into his pants, following her eagerly as she fumbled for the keys in her purse to unlock her apartment. They kissed some more, Korra pulling him into her room and slamming the door behind them as she pinned him up against the wall. Feverishly, he pulled at the flimsy straps of her dress, sliding it off of her in one fell swoop. She guided him over to the bed, quickly unlacing her heels and sliding her panties down as Mako ripped off his suit jacket and shirt, kicking his shoes off as he made his way towards her. Eagerly, she pulled his pants and underwear down to see he had hardened again, and she leaned herself back down onto the bed to stare up at him.

“I have condoms in my nightstand,” she said breathlessly, running her hands along her body in anticipation as he stared at her. Suddenly he stopped, his face falling awkwardly. Korra sat up quickly, suddenly alert.

“What’s wrong?” She asked. “Do you not want to?”

“No, that’s not it. I really, really want to.” He emphasized. “There’s just...I just haven’t been totally honest with you.” He turned away, sitting on the edge of the bed.

“Well, what is it? I’m sure it’s fine,” she scooted over towards him draping her arms over his shoulders and pressing against him from behind in an embrace. 

“Okay, uh…” He took in a deep breath, meeting her expectant gaze. “Well, you see, I uh…” He hesitated. “Haven’t really ever done this before.”

“What? What do you mean?” Korra asked.

“I’m a virgin, okay! There! I said it!”


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally I had planned on making Asami also a total virgin, but then my friend suggested an idea for the catalyst of her breakup with Mako that was so hilariously unhinged, I had to use the idea. Enjoy the drama this chapter :)
> 
> CW: SMUT!

“What?” Korra asked, wondering if she had heard him incorrectly. She shook her head slightly to clear it, as if something was physically blocking her hearing.

“Don’t make me repeat myself!” Mako said frustratedly, pinching his nose the way he did when he was extremely agitated. 

“You’re a...you’re a virgin?” Korra asked slowly, pulling away from him and sitting down next to him. Mako nodded uncomfortably, and their eyes met in an intense gaze. Korra held the contact for a moment before suddenly bursting out into a fit of giggles, flopping back onto the bed and crossing her arms over her exposed chest, continuing to laugh.

“HAHAHAHAAHAHAHAH!” She gasped for air, the deep and guttural laughs overtaking her entire body.

“Korra!” Mako frowned deeply, his entire face blushing a red deeper than his signature scarf. “It’s not fucking funny!” He growled angrily, grabbing her arm and yanking her up. 

“I-it’s hilarious, actually,” Korra gasped, wiping a tear from her eye, her makeup unsalvageable at this point.

“I’m trying to be honest with you and you’re laughing at me!” Mako said defeatedly. “This is  _ exactly  _ how I always pictured my first time. The girl I love  _ laughing _ at me.”

“Makoooo! Stoooopppp!” She whined, trying not to get distracted by his  _ girl I love  _ comment and pulling his head down against her chest in an embrace. He kept his arms limp at her sides, not wanting to react to her touch as he continued to seethe at her reaction. “It’s not the fact that you’re a virgin that’s making me giggle,” Korra said soothingly, letting her fingers gently sweep down his back. “It’s that you were talking such a big game before. I mean, you’re honest to Raava telling me you’ve never had sex before?” He lifted his head from her chest and their eyes met again, Korra biting her lip slightly in anticipation for his reply. 

“No, I haven’t,” he said flatly. 

“You and Asami…?”

“What? No. At least, not all the way.” The visual of Asami’s lips wrapped around Mako flashed across Korra’s vision again for a moment, and she wasn’t sure which of the two she would rather be.

“I gathered that part,” Korra nodded slowly, pushing the fantasy to the back of her brain. “Well,” she leaned back on the bed again lazily, peering up at him. “That explains why your head game was  _ sickening. _ ” She grinned flirtatiously.

“What?” Mako said in a panicked voice. “I-I thought you liked it! Now you’re saying it made you sick?” He asked her frantically, eyebrows furrowed in self doubt.

“Oh my spirits, Mako, NO! Sickening is slang for  _ really good.  _ You need to RELAX. You’re such a tightwad.” She groaned, sitting back up again. “But what was all of that dom talk? And here I was expecting the best fuck of my life.” Korra said flippantly. 

“All of these insults are really getting me in the mood,” Mako retorted sarcastically, his face twisting into a pout again. “I was just copying what I’ve seen in porn, I don’t know!” He threw his hands up in frustration.

“Sorry, sorry. I’m sorry for laughing. You just caught me by surprise.” She scooted closer to him, wrapping her arms around him again. “I don’t mind at all that you’re a virgin.” She said sincerely, reaching for his hand. “Also, the dom stuff was good. You totally had me fooled.”

“I wasn’t trying to fool you! Stop trying to make me feel better,” he ripped his hand away, pulling away from her and standing up from the bed, reaching for his underwear.

“Mako!” Korra said his name disapprovingly. “Cut it out right now.” She leaned forward on the bed. "I would love to have sex with you. In fact I’ve wanted this for a long ass time,” she admitted. “I wasn’t trying to make fun of you. I was really nervous about tonight too. The way you made it seem at the restaurant- was like I wouldn’t be able to walk tomorrow!” Korra said exasperatedly, clambering over the bed and grabbing his arm again. Mako sighed deeply, dropping his shoulders and letting his underwear fall to the floor. “I’m just a little shocked is all!” 

“I just wanted tonight to be really special...Is it really okay? Do you... really want to?” He asked for reassurance carefully. 

“Please?” She whined, pouting her lip. Mako’s lips twitched into a smile as he climbed on top of her, pushing her back down onto the bed and kissing her fiercely, moving down to her neck and then to her chest. Korra grinned and began to moan lowly, the anticipation of Mako’s touch electrifying her skin. He got right down to business, making his way to her sex, doing what he did best as he slid a digit inside of her. Korra could tell the vibe was different this time around, less playful and much more intense as the stakes were higher. She let her eyes flutter closed in an attempt to shake off the awkwardness of before as she focused on the sensations Mako was causing with his hands and tongue; the only sound was their deep breathing and slight creaks of her bed. Mako added another finger, his tongue doing most of the work as he attempted to get Korra more riled up. Was she even into this? His performance anxiety began to manifest in the awkward silence of their movements. 

“You okay?” He stopped for a moment. Korra opened her eyes and looked at him, nodding reassuringly and spreading her legs open further. 

“You don’t have to be nervous. It’s just me,” she reassured him with his own words. Mako’s eyes softened at her sentiment, and she grabbed at the nape of his neck, pushing his head down again, for which he eagerly complied. 

“Mmmm right there,” Korra instructed as Mako remembered the familiar spot he had stimulated the last time around. He began to rapidly apply pressure, fingers pumping harder and faster as he watched his lovers eyes roll into the back of her head, this time no warning as she climaxed around his fingers quickly.

“How did you get so fucking good at that?” Korra panted as she came down. Mako merely grinned, about to shove his sticky fingers into her mouth so that she could taste herself. “Lots of practice.”

“Nuh uh, this time around, I’m in charge.” Korra said sternly, twisting his hand back over to himself. Mako’s eyebrows raised in surprise as she sat up, grabbing his shoulders and flinging him over to where she was just laying as he popped his fingers into his mouth. Mako leaned against the headboard and watched as Korra made her way over to him, swinging her leg over his as she began to grind her hips against him.

“F-fuck-” he moaned as Korra’s body melted into his, chests pressed together as she leaned forward to touch their foreheads. The anticipation was so overwhelming it almost  _ hurt.  _ He needed to be inside of her.

“You ready?” She panted, lifting herself onto her knees and gesturing towards the nightstand. Mako leaned over, careful not to disturb Korra too much as he quickly grabbed a condom. He tore open the side with his teeth but was stopped by Korra, who rolled it onto him herself, much to Mako’s delight; her enthusiasm only turned him on more. Carefully, she lifted herself up to her knees and placed her hands onto his shoulders to steady herself. Mako’s hands gently rested on her hips, his heart beating rapidly in excitement. 

_ This is it!  _ He thought happily.

“Okay.” Korra breathed simply, lowering herself onto him slowly. She sucked in a sharp breath, throwing her head back in agony as she reached just past the tip of his cock. Mako’s breath began to quicken.

“What? What’s wrong? Are you okay?” Mako’s panicky voice caused Korra’s head to tip back to face him. 

“Y-yeah, I’m fine!” Korra insisted with a painful smile, biting her lip as she slowly lowered herself down more. “You’re just really fucking big. Like, biggest I’ve ever had, big.” Mako let out an involuntary groan as she successfully pushed him all the way inside of her. She paused for a moment, panting deeply and surprised that she was able to take all of him. 

“R-really?” he asked shyly, an involuntary goran escaping his lips and his hands gripping Korra’s hips tighter as she lifted up slightly. 

“Yes!” She moaned. “I just need a second to adjust.” She leaned forward a bit, dropping her head into his shoulder, shuddering and lifting up again slightly before coming down. Carefully, she began to increase her movements, sliding up and down his shaft. Eagerly, Mako attempted to guide Korra’s hips, shoving her down onto him. She felt so  _ fucking good  _ wrapped around him, bouncing up and down gently to increase the friction. 

“I told you I’m in charge,” Korra growled, the pathetic puddle of a woman he had made her once before now gone. “Shut up and let me have you,” Mako’s breathing quickened again as Korra sunk down, spelling random letters with the direction of her hips as he began to shake, watching her work. “How. I. Want.” He wanted to freeze in this moment forever, feeling so utterly connected to someone else; their mutual possession and the love he felt in his heart swelling it to twice its normal size, almost distracting him from the pleasurable sensations he was finally experiencing for the first time. He would do anything for her. He was putty in her hands.

All too soon, the pressure of an orgasm quickly built into his core. “Fuck, I’m about to-” before he could finish his sentence, Korra quickly halted her movements, letting her weight sink onto him slightly. The urge to spill over began to subside as they locked eyes in silence. Wordlessly, Mako nodded for her to continue, catching on to what she was doing. Slowly, she continued her movements, looking up at him through her pants and smiling before dropping her gaze again to focus. 

“You’re beautiful…” Mako sighed happily, his breath quickening again as he squeezed her hips roughly in warning. She paused again, looking up at him quizzically to make sure she had read his movements correctly. The sensation began to build again, this time more threatening as Mako realized they wouldn’t be able to keep this up.

“I don’t think I’ll be able to last much longer,” he said breathlessly. 

“In that case,” Korra said tauntingly, lifting herself up slightly again before slamming back down onto him over and over, thoroughly enjoying how quickly he lost his composure.

“F-fuck!” Mako cried out, the intensity of his climax building up at lightning speed and bursting out of him. Korra continued her movements through his orgasm, taking pleasure in the low, guttural groan escaping his lips as she lifted herself off of him.

“How was getting put in your place?” Korra grinned, scooting over to him and laying her head on his shoulder, her rapid breaths ghosting over his skin. Mako didn’t respond, his chest rising and falling rapidly as he came down from the euphoric sensation as he removed the condom and tossed it into the trash bin under her night stand. 

“Sorry…” he sighed disappointingly, his fallen face causing concern. 

“What? What’s wrong?” Korra lifted her head and looked at him. “Did you not like it?” 

“No, no. It was amazing. it was just so short. It’s embarrassing…” Mako blushed furiously, turning his head away from her and pouting.

“It’s just because it was your first time. You actually lasted longer than I would’ve thought. And don’t worry, you’ll get better with some practice,” She grinned up at him, her cocky voice relieving a bit of Mako’s anxious tension as she lifted a hand to his cheek and guided his face to hers. “So we’ll have to do this again soon.” Mako chuckled at her flirting as she pressed their foreheads together again before going in for a gentle kiss. Mako twisted his fingers into her short locks as he kissed her passionately, tasting her over and over again. Finally, she broke away, gesturing for him to lay down and dropping her head down to his chest to drape herself over him. They sat in silence for a long time, chests rising and falling as the elation of finally having sex for the first time began to wash over Mako. 

_ I did it! With Korra, of all people!  _ He smiled lightly to himself as he gently ran his fingers down her arm, her eyes fluttered closed and her breathing slowing to match his. As he contemplated it a bit more, he reflected on how grateful he was for Korra’s eventual graciousness about the situation. He couldn’t think of someone he could trust more, nor someone he had loved more, to give all of himself to in this way. Someone he could trust so fully to see him at his most vulnerable. They had forever connected.

“I really love you,” he mumbled into her hair, assuming she had dozed off.

“And I really love you back,” she breathed into his chest, his eyebrows raising in surprise before a relieved smile relaxed them once more. He hugged her closer to his chest, letting his eyes close from his exhaustion. They could talk more tomorrow.

* * *

**_Saturday Evening, Asami’s Penthouse_ **

“Everything alright?” The heiress asked her boyfriend as he padded back over to her. They had been enjoying a leisurely night swim on the terrace when he had gone inside to use the restroom. When he hadn’t returned for an unusually long time, Asami considered going in to check that he was okay.

“Yeah, I just got a call from Korra. But it’s nothing,” Mako said unconvincingly. 

“Then why do you seem so stressed out?” Asami said knowingly, wading over to the edge of the pool where Mako stood and lifting herself on the edge to get out. 

“It’s nothing!” Mako insisted. Asami decided to drop it, knowing her boyfriend wouldn’t be willing to divulge any more information despite her immense curiosity involving the Water Tribe Princess. 

“Babe, you’ve been so tense lately. What’s going on? You know you can tell me.” Asami insisted, walking over to the towel she had left on the lounge chair and wrapping it around herself. Mako had no idea how to respond. What could he even tell her anyway? 

_ Hey Asami, I know you’re my girlfriend and all, but I just recently found out my best friend has feelings for me, and I’ve been super confused and sort of feeling the same way for a really long time and I think I might love her. _

“Oh, just the usual I guess. School and the match coming up.” Mako replied dubiously, avoiding Asami’s piercing gaze as she walked over to him. She wrapped her arms around him from behind, dropping her cheek to his shoulder. Mako awkwardly accepted the embrace, and his words spilled out before he could connect his brain and his mouth properly.

“Korra’s going through a really hard time right now. I’m really worried about her.” Asami lifted her head curiously, willing Mako to continue. However, he remained silent, biting his lip and looking at the floor. 

“Oh? What’s been going on? Is there anything we can do?” She asked soothingly, rubbing down his arm affectionately. Mako shook his head, still not lifting his gaze. 

“I don’t know anymore…” He said under his breath. Realizing she wasn’t getting anywhere with him, she opted to go inside, suggesting they watch a movie. Taking his hand, they made their way into the penthouse; Mako trailing behind her as he looked at his phone distractedly. He felt absolutely horrible for yelling at her. She was reaching out to him and he had slammed the door in her face. He needed to see her, but she was so far away. 

Asami’s sultry voice forced him back into reality as he followed her into her bedroom where they had left their clothes, the door shutting behind them quietly as she pulled at the string of her bathing suit top. She threw her towel on the floor next to the bed, turning around to face a surprised Mako.

“I know what’ll make you feel better,” she said seductively, letting the top of her suit fall off of her and walking toward him. 

“Oh...you don’t hav-” Mako began, but Asami was already ripping down his swim suit, her mouth enveloping him before he had a chance to finish. Mako watched in shock as she moved, trying her best to get him hard. A low moan escaped his lips, and he dropped his phone on the floor as Asami gripped the back of his thighs,

“There we go,” she said, feeling his erection form on her tongue as the vibrations of her speech caused Mako to twitch. Despite Asami’s best efforts, she couldn’t get Mako to focus on her, his thoughts occupied by another girl. 

_ Spirits, I was so awful. Why did I yell at her like that? I’m punishing her because I can’t handle my own feelings.  _

Mako’s thoughts drifted back to the party, Korra’s hot skin against his and her tongue swiping against his bottom lip. He thought of how he had seen her exposed, and how she wasn’t shy about him seeing. Everything was so confusing; he liked Asami. He was with Asami. But Korra. Korra was his best friend, so strong and beautiful and he cared for her so much. And she had feelings for him? Feelings that were matching the ones he had been trying to push down for so long, out of fear that she didn’t feel the same way? 

“Ohhh,” Mako moaned. Asami’s tongue swirled at the tip, and she watched him for his reactions. Mako’s brows had furrowed in concern, still unable to concentrate on the excellent, impromptu head that he was receiving. Why couldn’t he just relax and enjoy this? He laced his fingers in his girlfriends curly hair, guiding her head up and down his shaft. Asami was so kind and wonderful and understanding. She was making an effort to get to know his brother, his friends, his hobbies and interests. She was gorgeous and intelligent. So why was he so hung up on his teammate?

“Ohhh Kor-” Mako stopped mid moan, realizing his mistake, and dropped his hands. Asami froze, lifting her head and peering up at him.

“Did you just-?” Asami’s face was devoid of emotion, somehow more terrifying than if she had been screaming and crying and raging at what she had just heard; her boyfriend moaning another girl’s name.

“No! I-I!” Mako stammered, unable to comprehend the absolute and utter fuck up he had just comitted. 

_ DID I JUST MOAN KORRA’S NAME?!?!?!  _

His brain was on fire, vision dizzying as he watched Asami slowly lift to her feet, staring at the ground.

“You just moaned Korra’s name…” she whispered, turning away from him.

“NO! No I didn’t! I was…” but there was no sense refuting. They both knew what he had done.

“I think you should go.” Asami said coldly, biting her lip to stop the tears that were threatening to spill over. Mako’s hands shook as he lifted his swim trunks back up, quickly grabbing his phone from the floor. He couldn’t think clearly, relying on autopilot for his legs to carry him out of the room. 

“Asami…” he reached the door, turning back to face her. She looked up at him, the tears successfully spilling down her cheeks as they made eye contact. Mako winced painfully, slamming the door behind him in anguish as he booked it to the elevator, scooping up his shoes and wallet and slamming the button to get out of there as quickly as he could. He couldn’t worry about his clothes, he just needed to get out of there. He forced his way into the elevator, panting heavily as his heart rate increased rapidly. He felt his head go light as he reached the bottom floor of Asami’s building. 

“What. The. Fuck.” He breathed, hopping into his car and sitting blankly in silence. 

“What the FUCK!!” He screamed, slamming his hands on the sides of the steering wheel. “WHAT THE FUCK!” 


	17. Chapter 17

“Tell me EVERYTHING!” Opal squeeld immediately upon her roommate exiting her room. It was just after noon, and Opal presumed that Korra had skipped her morning classes due to her preoccupation with...other activities. 

“Not so loud, I just woke up,” Korra groaned, her short hair splayed out on the back of her head as she made her way to the kitchen to help herself to the cooled pot of coffee Opal had brewed earlier.

“Korra, it’s like, noon!” Opal retorted, watching her roommate fill a mug and pop it in the microwave. She went for the fridge to retrieve the creamer and stood impatiently in front of the appliance, waiting for it to ding.

“So? That doesn’t change the fact that I just woke up.” She sniffed, rubbing her tired eyes again. They stung slightly from her ruined makeup, and she knew she desperately needed a shower. Mako had left before she had woken up, although she was unsure when, and when she checked her phone immediately upon waking, there was nothing from him. She was trying her best not to overthink things, but as per usual, Mako was being aloof when they had gotten closer. 

“Is he-?” Opal asked, gesturing towards the door to Korra’s bedroom. Korra shook her head, turning back to the microwave as it dinged and dumping a generous amount of creamer into it. “Oh. When did he leave?”

“Dunno,” Korra said nonchalantly, making her way to the cupboard and grabbing a bowl and some of Opal’s cereal. She lifted her arms above her head, stretching as the bottom of the shirt she had hastily thrown on rode up her stomach. 

“He didn’t spend the night?” Opal asked carefully. 

“Guess not.” Korra said flatly, pouring the cereal into the bowl and following with milk. 

“Did something happen?” 

“No, why?” 

“Because...I don’t know...I figured you’d be more excited, or something.” Korra sighed deeply, grabbing her breakfast and making her way over to the couch where Opal sat. She set her mug down on the coffee table, shoving a few spoonfuls of cereal into her mouth before responding to her roommate’s inquiry.

“It was...nice…” Korra chose her words carefully, not wanting to spread Mako’s private business around like it was hot gossip. “I guess I’m just more so annoyed at the way he reacted.”

“How do you mean?” Opal asked politely, clicking off her phone to give Korra her undivided attention.

“Well, for starters, he was being kind of a dick at the restaurant.” She finished chewing her cereal, swallowing hard and reaching for the coffee, the immediate change in temperature making her teeth sting.

“What? Was he rude to the waiter? I didn’t peg him as the type…” Opal remarked.

“No, it wasn’t that but HOLY SHIT! Fucking Tahno was there with Ga Eun of all fucking people!” Korra said frantically.

“WHAT!?” Opal practically jumped out of her seat.

“YES. And the host had us sit at a table like SUPER CLOSE to them. They left not long after we got there but I literally told Mako I wanted to leave and he just forced me to sit and stay.” Korra huffed, sipping her drink.

“Ummmm…that was a really dick move. What the hell.” Opal leaned back again. “Do you think he saw you?” 

“Spirits, I hope not. I already have to go to the scrimmage tonight and see him. And I haven’t responded to any of his messages. I have no idea what to say...And I don’t even know what Mako and I are, yet. Or if he wants to like, keep things under wraps for now? Ugh.” Korra set her bowl down on the table, running her fingers through the roots of her hair frustratedly.

“Mmm, yeah. You need to talk to him about that. And like, what does that mean for you and Asami? Are you still gonna keep hanging out with her? And are you gonna tell him?” Opal asked quizzically, the pros and cons of each decision weighing in her mind.

“Fuckkkk, I have no idea!” Korra said exasperatedly. “I think she’s so cool! But like, I don’t want to make Mako uncomfortable. I wanna ask him about the break up, but I don’t want to upset him. Do you think it would be totally crazy of me to ask Asami about it?” she wondered.

“Umm… I would wait until you guys are a bit closer, maybe. The way you said Mako danced around the subject makes me think it wasn’t a very clean split. And didn’t Asami get kind of weird at lunch when he was mentioned?”

“I guess so, yeah. But I figured that was just residual break up awkwardness. Cause, she knows Mako is my best friend and all. She just doesn’t know about the other stuff. At least, I assume. Wait...now that you mention it, Mako was being super fucking vague about the entire thing.” Korra dipped her head into her hand. “Like, I didn’t even really know that Asami was his full on girlfriend until I met her in the library. He had briefly mentioned dating someone casually, but like, they were actually exclusive and shit. Why wouldn’t he have introduced us?”

“Yeah, that’s honestly pretty shady,” Opal agreed.

“Shadier than Shady Shin!” Korra exclaimed, the weight of the situation crashing down on her.  _ What are they not telling me? _

“I think you should talk to him about it. And probably come clean about meeting up with Asami. If you want this to go anywhere, you should be honest about everything you’re feeling. And he needs to be honest with you too.” Opal said sincerely. 

“Damn...you’re right. I kinda want to talk to Asami first, though. I don’t want to set him off.” Korra lifted her head again.

“Being this worried about his reaction isn’t really a good sign, Korra…” Opal said quietly. 

“I’m not like, afraid of him. I just know he has a lot going on right now and I don’t want to cause him any problems, is all.” Korra sighed, pulling out her phone. 

**_Instagram:_ **

**_@Korrathelegend: Hey, are you coming to the scrimmage tonight?_ **

Only moments later, the typing bubbles popped up as Korra anxiously waited for her reply. 

**_@asamisato: umm, I wasn’t planning on it. I don't really want to see Mako, haha._ **

Korra took a deep breath before typing out her response.

**_@Korrathelegend: oh true, I get it. What does your early evening look like? Wanna grab dinner?_ **

**_@asamisato: I’d love to! Wanna come by my place, say 5ish? We can order in :)_ **

**_@Korrathelegend: sounds perfect :)_ **

Opal scooted over to read her phone over her shoulder. 

“Are you insane?” she asked incredulously. Korra bit her lip, catching her roommates gaze.

“I’m not going to tell her about Mako and I. Not yet, anyways. I just want to hear both sides of the story. Mako tends to be overly dramatic about things like this, judging from past relationships.” Korra sighed again.

“But you’re going behind his back!” Opal insisted.

“Ugh, please stop being the voice of reason for a moment and understand the position I’m in. I have to know if she knows about Mako and I. I don’t think she does, but... _ if  _ she does, I need to know why she wants to be friends with me. What could her reasoning be?”

“Isn’t that a lot of pressure to put on one hangout?” Opal retorted.

“UGH Opal!” Korra groaned.

“Okay I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I support you in whatever decision you want to make, even if I think it’s fucking insane,” Opal backtracked. Korra grinned at her halfheartedly. What the hell was going on?

* * *

**_Sunday Morning, Asami’s Penthouse_ **

“Just LET ME IN!” Mako screamed over the phone. Asami yanked the device away from her ear as Mako shouted. 

“Go AWAY!” She yelled back into the phone.

“Just give me 5 minutes and I’ll explain everything, please!” Mako pleaded with her. Asami bit her lip anxiously. Did she even want an explanation? What was there to explain? He moaned his best friend’s name while she was going down on him. It was pretty self explanatory. But in typical Asami fashion, she buzzed him in, waiting for his reasoning and putting her feelings aside for the sake of others, even if they didn’t deserve it.

“Asami, I am so fucking sorry!” Mako ran out of the elevator the second the doors were open enough. The heiress ended the call on her phone and stood in the middle of the living room with her arms crossed, her purple nightgown flowing behind her as the gentle early morning autumn wind breezed through the terrace window. 

“Uhuh,” she said disinterestedly, turning away from him.

“I don’t know what happened! I guess I was just distracted thinking about the call, and I got my wires cros-”

“Did you ever stop and think that maybe this wasn’t the only issue between us?” Asami spun around angrily. 

“What do you-?” Mako began, but Asami interrupted him.

“Korra Korra Korra. You’re always talking about Korra. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you had feelings for her!” She yelled, her heart leaping into her throat as she saw Mako’s face drop and his eyes focus intently on the floor. “So that’s what it is…” Asami stalked forward, slapping Mako cleanly across the cheek. He just looked at her, his golden eyes meeting her teary green ones. “Why didn’t you just tell me?”

“I don’t know!” Mako pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. “I just, I was feeling so confused. I like you, Asami! I really do! But I just kept trying to push these feelings for her away because I didn’t want to screw things up with you!” He insisted.

“And look where that got you.” Asami spat. Mako reached out to touch her, but she slapped his hand away, causing his face to fall again. “Don’t fucking touch me, asshole.”

“Please tell me what I can do to fix this!” Mako begged. His brain felt like it would melt out of his ears. How could he have fucked up this situation so badly? He needed to fix this. He needed to be good.

“Oh please. Just stop. Things have been off for a long time, and now I know why. Completely ignoring me at my own party, playing white knight to Korra right in front of me? It was so fucking embarassing. You couldn’t have been more obvious.”

“I’m sorry…” Mako said weakly, unsure of what else he could say. Everything Asami had said was true. He was an asshole, and he knew it.

“You know, I’m not even that upset about you moaning her name while I was going down on you, or about my party, or anything else for that matter,” she said angrily. “It’s that you couldn’t be honest with me.” Mako looked up at her, no refuting words reaching his mouth.

“I’m sorry! Tell me how I can fix this, please!” Mako begged. 

“You can fix it by getting the fuck away from me. What kind of man can’t be honest with himself like this? Face the fucking facts and grow up already. I don’t want to be collateral damage for whatever the fuck is wrong with you that you refuse to deal with.”

“Asami, I-” Mako was completely and utterly taken aback by her words. 

“All this time,” she said so angrily that her voice shook. “I tried to be a good girlfriend to you. You know what the worst part is?  _ I like Korra.  _ I think she’s great! And she cares about you so deeply. And then she acts shocked that we were even exclusive? You didn’t tell your best friend about me? What the FUCK is that, Mako?” She stalked over to him again, pushing against his chest. “What is that? WHAT IS THAT?” She pushed against him harder.

“Asami, stop!” Mako begged, wrapping his arms around her in a tight embrace, forcing her to stop.

“You’re an asshole. I hate you. I hate you so goddamn much!” The tears finally escaped from her eyes as she slammed her fists against his chest. 

“I know…” Mako sighed quietly, his hand running down her hair soothingly. “I know…”

“Just go.” Asami pulled away from him. “We’re done. Get out.” understanding that there was nothing more he could do, Mako left. When he reached his car, he sat in silence for what felt like ages, his eyes too tired to even close before he finally started the engine and made his way back to his apartment. 

“Hey bro!” Bolin greeted him as he walked through the door, not looking up from the videogame that he was currently invested in displayed on the TV. Mako ignored his greeting and ran to his room, slamming the door behind him and attempting to steady his shallow breaths. He made his way over to his bed and shoved a pillow against his face.

“FUCK!” he screamed.

Asami retreated to her room, the tears stopping immediately when he had left. She gazed in the mirror of her vanity, fixing her slightly smeared makeup and forcing a smile on her face. 

“Whatever!” She said in a forced cheerful tone. “I didn’t do anything wrong!” She smacked her cheeks in the mirror, fixing her lipstick and smacking her lips together. 

__ _ Oh, shit!  _ She exhaled with her eyes closed, suddenly remembering that she had scheduled tea with Korra that day. Should she cancel? No, it wasn’t Korra’s fault that Mako was an ass. Did she even know about Mako’s feelings? Could it really be that they were just such good friends? Asami shook her head slightly, opening instagram and scrolling through her timeline to numb her brain. After a few minutes of mindless scrolling, a message popped up from none other than Korra.

**_@Korrathelegend: Hey asami, I’m so sorry but something came up, so I won’t be able to make it. Let’s reschedule for something soon!_ **

Asami breathed a sigh of relief, typing out a response.

**Instagram**

**@asamisato**

**No worries! Wanna grab lunch tomorrow? I’m uncharacteristically free for a monday :)**

She had to find out what Korra knew, and nothing, not even Mako, was going to stop her.


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> some broken down Asami, with a healthy dose of hurt/comfort. <3

“Hey!” Asami greeted her friend as she exited the elevator. “How are you?” They embraced, this time much more relaxed on Korra’s part despite the ulterior motives for which she had come to the business woman's home.

“Ah, i’m okay. How are you doing?” Korra asked, her hand on the back of her neck.

“I’ve been better,” Asami admitted, turning away from her guest and going into the living room, gesturing that she followed. “So, are you hungry? What are you in the mood for? It’s my treat, of course.” Asami assured her.

“Oh, you don’t have to-” Korra began.

“It’s my pleasure!” Asami assured her. “There’s this great little restaurant down the street. I remember you saying you like fire flakes. We could get some elephant koi sushi and-”

“I have to be honest with you.” Korra suddenly burst out. Asami turned around slowly, her blood going cold at the seriousness of Korra’s tone and mannerisms. _Fuck._

“I think you’re really nice and cool.” Korra said, her eyes squeezed shut in anguish. “But Mako is stonewalling me and I want to know what happened between you two. I want to be friends with you, but I don’t want to make him uncomfortable. I know you said what happened between you two has nothing to do with us, but I can’t help but feel like it does. And of course, I know that’s honestly insane of me to ask because it’s really not my business and we don’t know each other very well, but I’ve just been so stressed about the whole situation, and I want to be sensitive to your needs and-” Korra rambled, unable to stop for a breath.

“Oh for Yangchen’s sake.” Asami rubbed her temples in frustration. “I guess I knew this was coming. I wanted to talk to you about it, but I wasn’t sure how to go about it. It’s really...awkward. And I’m not sure it’s my place to say…” Asami muttered. “I don’t like thinking about it.”

“I’m so sorry,” Korra bit her lip. There she went again, unable to hold back her thoughts and voicing her opinions or asking for things that weren’t hers to have. She felt so guilty, retraumatizing Asami and trying to protect Mako when she could sense he was the one that had fucked up. And what would Asami’s reaction be to finding out Korra and Mako were now ‘together’? Korra didn’t even want to consider it. Opal was right, this was a mistake.

“Wait...Is that the only reason you wanted to hang out?” Asami asked defensively. 

“NO!” Korra insisted in a panic. “I want to get to know you better! I just...can’t help but feel bothered being so out of the loop with things.” Korra’s thoughts drifted back to this morning, waking up alone. “I’m worried...he’s drifting away from me.” Asami sighed heavily. 

“I can see you care for him very deeply.” She remarked quietly. “I can’t say I’m surprised he hasn’t told you...And, I can’t help but still care about his well being, too. My feelings haven’t completely changed towards him...But I’m worried that if I tell you, it’s just going to cause problems in your friendship. And I don’t really want to look like the vindictive ex that’s trying to fuck with him after the breakup.” The heiress sat down onto her designer couch, elegantly draped across the arm rest. Korra was enamored by her; the epitome of class and respect.

“If he did something bad, I want to know. Do you...still have feelings for him?” Korra asked carefully, sitting beside her. She felt worse with each passing second, watching Asami breathing deeply to try to collect her thoughts.

“Not in that way. Like I said, our romance was casual, but our friendship...I don’t really want to be hurt by what he did. And I guess in a lot of ways I’m not, really. It’s just, -and I’m assuming you already know this- Mako is a really troubled person. He doesn’t let people in, no matter how hard they try. Well, I guess,” Asami turned to face Korra, her green eyes clouded over. “Except for you.” Korra’s heart leapt into her throat at Asami’s words. “Usually, at least.” Korra had no idea that they had gotten so close, hearing next to nothing from Mako and the insistence of casualty from Asami. In fact, she knew pretty much nothing. “I tried so hard to break down his walls. But it just ended up breaking him more. Did you know when he told me what happened to his parents, he didn’t shed a single tear? It frightened me, honestly. I guess it's been so long that maybe he has no tears left to cry? But I’ve never seen him cry. Not once. Not even during our worst fights where I was sobbing and shaking, saying the most dreadful things that I’m constantly wishing I could take back. He was always so...cold. And every time things got rough, he’d want to pull away. He has such a...mechanical way of going about fixing things. Like he was never taught how. But I guess he wasn’t, considering he raised himself, basically. And, I feel so guilty about the entire situation. I want to hate him and be upset about what he did more than I am. I can’t help but worry for him.”

Korra’s heart raced at Asami's words, realizing that in their years of friendship, she had never seen Mako cry either. It couldn’t be that strange, could it? But then Korra recalled learning about what had happened to Mako’s parents as well, and how unnerving his blank expression was when he told the tale and the things he had to do to help him and Bolin survive. “Just...just tell me, please.” Korra squeezed her eyes shut again, bracing herself. Asami bit her lip again. “You’re freaking me out, here.”

“Alright, well...he was over here hanging out, and we, um…” Asami blushed in embarrassment. “I was going down on him.” she said bluntly. “And, he um…” She debated on how far she should go. “He moaned... another girl’s name.” Mako’s feelings for Korra were his to deal with. Asami had half a mind to wash her hands completely of the entire situation, but as Korra’s eyes fluttered open in shock, she couldn’t bring herself to end things. 

“He did WHAT!?” Korra shouted. “Asami, what the hell do you have to feel guilty for?” Asami’s face dropped instantly. “Wait, don’t answer that. That’s not my place to ask. You can’t help it. I’m sorry for asking about any of this. I had no idea…” Korra fell silent again, and the air became weighted around them as Korra couldn’t help but wonder if hers was the name Mako moaned. And, if it was, what the hell did Asami want with her?

“Forgive me, but-” Asami broke the silence. “Mako has informed me on more than one occasion that you can be pretty...brash with your decision making. I have to ask you to keep this between us. I don't want to cause any more drama. I’m exhausted, to be honest with you.”

“Oh...yeah, of course…” Korra replied, trying not to let the comment about her impulsivity sting. She of course desperately wanted to go yell at Mako for being such a dick, and a whole other slew of emotions that were clouding her thought process at the moment. She wanted to hit him, kiss and hug him, and run away all at once. “I’m so sorry… I had no idea he would do something like that…” Korra leaned back, pondering Asami’s story further. The overwhelming guilt began to feel suffocating as she looked at Asami’s crestfallen gaze, intently focused on the floor as the silence between them resumed. 

If she was being honest with herself, Korra felt quite disgusted by Mako's actions. By how coy he had been about the situation, she had assumed it had been a messy break in the sense that Asami was upset about it and yelled, or something. Not _this._ She had basically confirmed in her mind that it was her name he had moaned. And then there was the fact that they had jumped into things so quickly. Had the insanity of his split with Asami pushed him into Korra’s open arms inauthentically? Could she even trust a word he said at this point? She hated the implications. 

“Me either.” Asami muttered. 

“I guess I just don’t understand how you can be so okay, considering things…” Korra stated.

“Like I said, romance wise, it’s sort of whatever. But friendship? I’m fucking crushed he would do something like that, especially to me. And he came back to try to fix things, but I didn’t want to. It made me feel so pathetic. And I really hate that somehow, _I’m the one that feels guilty._ I just care about him very much, and maybe he didn’t mean to do it, but he did. He doesn’t deserve the benefit of the doubt, but I compulsively give it. I think he’s been lying to himself about some things for a very long time. But I guess you already knew all of this…” Korra nodded weakly, unsure of what she knew anymore. “I guess I just sort of fell for the way he made me feel, you know? Like, even though I can take care of myself, there was something so comforting about how well Mako takes care of the people in his life. It’s like he'd do anything for them. And for a while, that was me. But even so, I could never come first.” Asami gritted her teeth bitterly.

“Yeah, Mako will always prioritize Bolin. It’s really sad that he was parentified so yo-” Korra sighed. 

“I wasn’t talking about Bolin.” Asami said blankly. Korra sucked in her cheeks. She didn’t like where this was going.

“What do you mean?” She asked carefully. 

“Well, it would be disingenuous to pretend like you weren’t one of the most important things in Mako’s life, wouldn’t it?” Asami said, turning to face her houseguest. Korra swallowed hard, unsure of how to respond. 

“It certainly doesn’t feel that way…” Korra muttered. Asami bit her lip. She took a deep breath, bracing herself for Asami’s reaction. “It was me, wasn’t it. It was my name?”

Asami’s jaw dropped at Korra’s boldness, a million different scenarios and implications running through her mind at Korra’s words. She simply nodded to confirm, and Korra felt like she couldn’t exhale. 

“He’s just...such a complicated person. I guess he couldn’t figure out how to balance things in his life properly and everything just sort of blew up. But, in a way, I’m happy that’s over. I don’t know what that means for you two, and I guess I really don’t want to know. But, like I said, I truly do want us to be friends and not let what happened with him get in the way of us.” She reached out and grabbed Korra’s hand.

“Yeah, It’s just...the only thing I can ask is, why? Why do you want to be friends with me? I know you said we have things in common, but I just...Isn’t it awkward? Why not just cut your losses and move on completely?” Asami pulled her hand away, thinking deeply in order to craft her response. 

“I guess I don’t completely understand it myself. I’m just drawn to you in some sort of way. I’m still figuring it out, I guess.” Her words caused Korra to bush profusely. _Drawn to me?_

She thought. Korra felt sick with worry from how Asami would react to finding out about her and Mako. She had absolutely no desire to tell her at this point. And on so many levels, she felt the same. Drawn to her, and she couldn’t figure out why. But there was a trail of breadcrumbs leading right to them, and Asami was hot on their tracks.

“Okay.” Korra said simply. “I feel the same way. I just don’t want to upset you, somehow. Anymore than you already have been.” 

“I’ll be fine, you don’t need to worry about me!” Asami faked a reassuring smile at her.

“Somehow, I feel like you have to say that a lot, Asami.” Korra said honestly. Asami’s brows furrowed in surprise at the princess’s words. How had Korra gotten a read on her so quickly? So many others that came before her were easily fooled. 

“What do you mean?” Miss Sato asked her quizzically. Where was the water tribe girl going with this?

“I’ve been feeling so confused about everything. About why you would want to be around me, especially given what has happened. I wasn’t sure if it was because you wanted to scope me out, or get back at Mako, or whatever. But I can see now that you’re a really generous, kind, beautiful person. Inside and out. And It hurts me that you care for Mako so deeply because now I know how badly he has hurt you. My heart is aching for you. And the only logical conclusion I can come to about you wanting to be friends with me despite everything is because you want to make sure that Mako is okay. Somehow, despite everything, he has solidified a place in your heart. And I don’t blame you, because he really does have that effect on people.” Korra reached for Asami’s hand, much to the hostess’ surprise. “I know we haven’t known each other very long, but I want you to know I’m there for you. I know it didn’t seem like it, but I think I know that Mako cares for you very much, and I’m sure he hates how much suffering he has caused in this situation.” Korra looked into the woman’s green eyes. They began to glaze over with tears as Asami gripped her hand tighter. How had Korra read her so fully and completely? Asami was completely broken, and Korra knew it. And the fact that Mako was the catalyst was something she couldn’t even think about right now.

“He doesn’t deserve it. He doesn’t deserve my tears or my worry. I’m just so goddamn lonely. I thought if I could be friends with you, I’d have someone who finally understands me and my heart. I know that’s a lot of pressure and hope to put on someone I don’t know. Wishful thinking, I suppose. Someone so close to the situation who also has the understanding of being from such a suffocating background. I don’t know how to make things not awkward given what has happened. At this point, I don’t want to even think about things anymore. I don’t want to know anything about you and Mako, or how you feel about what he said and did as it pertains to you. You have feelings for him, don’t you? It hurts too much. But I desperately need you around me, even if you do. I wanted to keep reaching out, but… I guess that’s just me being selfish. I’m sorry this is so intense… Are you scared?” Asami wept. Korra’s heart began to shatter. How could a woman be so fragmented and lonely like this? Someone as gentle and caring as Asami Sato? Wordlessly, Korra leaned forward and embraced her friend. 

“No. You don’t have to apologize for anything. We don’t ever have to talk about Mako ever again if you don’t want to. I want to be honest with you about things, but I think I need some more time to figure things out. I know I don’t know you that well yet, but, I’d like to. I’ll be here for you in any way you need.” Korra’s promise touched Asami’s heart as she slowly returned her embrace. Korra couldn’t figure out why she felt so attached to this woman she barely knew, why she wasn’t overwhelmed the way she should be, or where such a desire to protect and care for her had come from. Asami pushed away the anguish of the possibility that Mako and Korra being together romantically caused her deep down as the magnetic pull between the women manifested into something indescribable. Korra would spend every moment thereafter trying to figure it out. Despite her own problems to deal with, the multitude of issues with Mako that kept mutating and taking new lives, in that moment, there was only Asami. Korra had finally found the strength to be there for someone else, and started being there for herself again.

_This is me being honest._


	19. Chapter 19

Korra returned back to her apartment hastily, stomach rumbling from not eating as she and Asami had only talked, expressing their thoughts on what they wanted out of their friendship and coming to the conclusion that they wouldn’t speak about Mako anymore. It was simply too painful, and the hurt and confusion that Korra was experiencing was nearly unbearable as she forced her way into her home, quickly refilling Naga’s food bowl and changing into her taekwondo uniform. She could think of a million places she would rather be than a sports match with a fuck buddy that caught feelings, the brother of the guy she loved that she was pretty sure liked her, and the guy she loved that was hurting her so deeply. She couldn’t focus properly on any given thing; her mind solely concentrated on the devastation that graced Asami’s elegant features. 

Because, what was the reason? Why did Mako continue to pull away from everyone that cared about him, appearing as if it was so simple? Why leave before Korra woke up when they had done something so intimately personal together? Why didn’t he want to be close to her? Why hadn’t he spoken to her all day, or given some sort of explanation? Why had he hidden the real reason he and Asami had broken up? Korra had never felt so conflicted in her entire life. She wanted to be put in a coma just to have a break from everything.

“You ready to go?” Korra knocked softly on her roommate's door. Opal emerged, donning a republic city university shirt with a homemade “GO KORRA!” sign, which only made Korra smile embarrassedly. 

“Yep! Let me just grab my keys,” Opal said with a smile. “Oh, how was dinner with Asami?” She asked casually. Korra’s throat closed up as her stomach rumbled again slightly. Despite her hunger, she was too upset to eat. Opal turned to face her, instantly getting a read on the situation. “Oh.”

“Let’s just go…” Korra slung her gym bag over her shoulder, pulling the belt of her uniform tighter around her waist. Opal clenched her jaw shut, worried by her friend’s ridgid behavior. She didn’t want to cause any more problems for her, aware of how difficult the scrimmage was going to be.

The ride to the school gym was silent, with Korra’s head leaning on her hand in contemplation as she stared out the window. As they made their way to the gym, Opal asked her if she would be alright, and if there was anything she could do.

“Just you being by my side is enough,” Korra reassured her, a weak smile turning up the corners of her lips. “Thanks for being here.” 

“Of course,” she reassured her. Taking a deep breath, Korra entered the gym, instantly spotting Mako as he talked to Hasook and Bolin near the entrance to the locker room. She let her eyes scan the room further, watching as Tahno spoke to their teammates Ming and Shaozu. Ga Eun hung off of him like usual, but he didn’t seem to mind as much as he usually did, much to Korra’s relief. The sound of the door caused the boy of water tribe descent to glance over at the source, and their blue eyes locked uncomfortably. She pushed through the crowd of teams and friends, nodding at Opal and glancing her eyes to Bolin. Opal shook her head, but Korra grabbed her hand and yanked her towards the small group. 

“Hey…” she said quietly. 

“KORRA! I MISSED YOU!” Bolin said excitedly, scooping her up into a hug. “Hey Opal! It’s good to see you again!”

“Yeah, you too. G-good luck tonight!” Opal blushed.

“Thanks! I hope you’ll cheer me on!” Bolin grinned, setting Korra down.

“Y-yeah!” Opal blushed. Hasook greeted them politely before excusing himself to talk to some other teammates. 

“Mako, can I... talk to you for a sec?” Korra asked slowly. The boy’s eyes narrowed before they broke away from his brother and Korra’s roommate, who continued a polite conversation in their absence. 

“What’s up?” Mako’s false nonchalance easily deconstructed by his lover. 

“I don’t want to fuck up the match by distracting you from things, so let’s talk after, okay? Can you come over?” 

“Fine,” he said flatly, turning away from her arm just as it began to reach out, not even attempting to ask for more information as he usually would. Korra had been worried he would be an anxious mess if she had merely informed him that they needed to speak, and yet his answer was so...Why was he being so cold? Why was he pulling away when she needed him now more than ever? What did she do wrong? Biting back tears, Korra ran into the empty locker room, slamming her open palms against the lockers and breathing heavily. Just then, she heard footsteps against the tile floor, and she whipped around to see the dead last person she wanted to.

“Oh, you scared me.” She breathed, dropping her arms to her side and avoiding the person’s gaze.

“Yeah, I tend to do that a lot.” Tahno’s soft voice muttered. “Um, hey…” He said awkwardly.

“Hi…” Korra responded, equally as uncomfortable.

“I just...um…” He brushed his long hair out of his face. “I’ve been thinking a lot, and I-”

“Tahno-” Korra began, wincing.

“Just let me finish, Korra.” He sighed deeply, looking to the side. “I just-I wanted to apologize for putting you in such a tough spot and dumping all of my feelings on you. It was really...lame of me.” Tahno turned away from her slightly, his squinting eyes focusing on his feet. “That was it. When I saw you at the restaurant yesterday with Mako-”

“Fuck.” Korra muttered under her breath.

“-I got the message loud and clear. I won’t disrespect you further and ask to be friends or anything. But yeah...I just wanted to say sorry for acting like a freak. You’re a really special girl, and I hope we can at least be cool since we have to see each other all the time.” Korra bit her lip, surprised at how mature Tahno was being with his response. Had she built up this eventual confrontation so hard in her mind for nothing? Wordlessly, she walked forward, wrapping her arms around the boy. 

“Thank you…” Korra said quietly. Tahno placed his hands gently on her back in surprise at her reaction. “I was really dreading talking to you. I should’ve been more upfront and not run away or avoided your messages. I just didn’t know what to say…” Korra pulled away, their eyes meeting again. “And I’m sorry for acting insane at the restaurant. I shouldn’t have run away. I’m just...I have a lot going on.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Tahno waved off her concerns, reassuring her with a genuine, albeit small, smile. “So...you and Mako…”

“I don’t even know, anymore…” Korra trailed off. Tahno’s face fell at her words. “So...you and Ga Eun…”

“No.” Tahno said firmly. “It’s...going to take more than a weekend to get over a girl like you,” he smiled again, and Korra returned it faintly. He placed a hand on her shoulder, and she gripped it softly. 

“Friends?” Korra asked him sincerely.

“Friends.” Tahno confirmed, eyebrows raised in surprise at her sentiment as he pulled his hand away. They held hands for a moment, a lingering touch slipping away as he turned and left the locker room. Korra breathed a sigh of relief, but resolving things with Tahno did little to ease her overarching anxieties. She desperately needed to talk to Mako, to resolve whatever had happened between him and Asami, if not for them then for herself. She wanted to reach out and pull him back into her, but he was doing little to give her any faith.

After splashing some cold water onto her face, she tied her short hair back into a low ponytail, shoving her bag into a locker and exiting the locker room, hands shaking as she made her way to the bench where her team sat. She sat at the end, sandwiched inbetween Ming and Hasook, trying to ignore the irritating whoops and howls of Tahno’s fangirls as he reentered the gym. 

“Are you alright, Korra?” Hasook suddenly asked her. She nodded tiredly, and Hasook clasped his hand on her shoulder, nodding before removing it and turning to face Mako, who had begun gathering the team’s attention for a pre-match pep talk. Korra was too distracted to give any of Mako’s words weight, and she couldn’t hear a single thing he said as she scanned the bleachers for Opal. They locked eyes, and Opal laid her hand over her heart, which Korra matched, as they always did. Filled with strength from the reassurance that Opal was there for her, Korra tried her best to ease her mind, and prepare for the match. 

“Good evening folks! I’m Shiro Shinobi, and this is the United Republic of Nation’s Collegiate Taekwondo season-opener scrimmage!” the announcer’s voice suddenly came over the loudspeakers. The crowd cheered in response, and Korra’s brain felt like it was pounding against her skull, her limbs numb and shaking.  _ Just get through the match. You can do this, Korra. _

“Let’s give a warm welcome to our teams that have come out to compete! Representing the Fire Nation, we have the Royal Fire Academy!” After letting the crowd die down, Shinobi continued. “Representing the Earth Nation, we got Ba Sing Se University!” 

Korra’s breathing became shallow, and her vision felt spotty as she began to feel sick. She tried to catch Mako’s eye, but he looked away quickly when he saw her staring.

“Korra, are you sure you’re alright?” Hasook asked. “You don’t look so good.” But she couldn’t respond, leaning forward in her seat and trying to catch her breath. Why couldn’t she breathe? It was too much. Everything was too much. 

“From the Northern Water Tribe, Tui and La College!” Korra swallowed hard, trying to focus. She just needed to get through the match, then she could breathe. Mako would explain things, and everything would be okay again. It had to be.

“Yeah, just a little lightheaded,” Korra choked out.

“And finally, our hosts, representing the United Republic of Nations, Republic City University!” Korra stood up shakily with her teammates, watching as Opal flashed her sign and cheered for her. She watched as Bolin hammed it up for the crowd as he usually did, and Mako’s stoic gaze at nothing in particular, a stone sheet of nothingness. The thought made her quake in fear.

\---

The matches dragged on for what felt like ages, and Korra had almost passed out from stress by the time she was called. 

“Up next we have Koza, representing the Fire Nation Academy, versus Republic City University’s Korra!” 

Korra raised from her seat, putting on her protective headgear and taking her place on the mat. The boy she was facing was wiry and tall, with pale golden eyes that shone through his face covering. They shook hands respectfully before taking their beginner positions. Korra’s head still felt light, and she desperately wanted to throw up despite there being nothing in her stomach. Once the referee gave the ready, the match began.

Koza began to attack, throwing a left kick at Korra’s side, which she easily doged. The movement made her stomach gurgle as she ducked and dodged his punches and kicks, avoiding and doging him without throwing any punches herself.

“Korra is a senior here at Republic City University,” the announcer began his introductions on the competitors. “She has earned the nickname “The Avatar” for her mastery in the fighting styles of all of the nations. 

“KICK HIS ASS KORRA!” She heard Bolin yell from the bench, distracting her for a moment, Koza landed a kick to her side, causing her to stumble to the side and the ref to step in.  _ Fuck. You’ve gotta focus, Korra. _

“Koza is here representing the Fire Nation Royal Academy. Originally from Ember Island, Koza is well known for his aggressive, offensive style that is common in the Fire Nation, and has quickly made a name for himself on his team, quickly becoming a co captain as just a sophomore.” 

Shaking her head, Korra waited until she saw an opening, lunging forward and landing a hit on her opponent's chest, dropping her arm on the ground and launching a high powered kick towards the Fire Nation boy. He kicked forward, breaking her stance and knocking her to the floor. Quickly, she rolled over, narrowly missing his forthcoming strike, and leapt to her feet, vision beginning to dizzy further as her skin began to prickle. Her gaze flicked over to the bench, where Mako avoided watching. What the hell was his problem? Was he upset with her? What had she done wrong?

“It looks like Korra is off her game tonight, folks! She can’t seem to land any solid hits on Koza.” She was fading quickly. She needed to finish this. They circled each other again, daring each other to be the first to strike. Korra made her move, ducking forward and attempting a roundhouse kick.  _ Fuck you, Mako.  _ Koza blocked her kick again, landing another hit onto her side as she landed, dropping to the floor in agony. “Oh and it looks like Korra might be down for the count! This could be it for her, folks.” Korra doubled over in pain, again looking over to the bench where her captain sat and desperately willing him to look at her. She needed to get up. She was better than this. Her vision began to blacken, the voices of the crowd and the announcer becoming distorted as her eyes shook back and forth; the last thing she remembered was her opponent's concerned voice asking if she was okay. Then everything went black.


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is inspired by this quote by Suzanne Rivecca:
> 
> “The San Francisco therapist kept telling me I shouldn’t be terrified of creative experimentation.  
> “I don’t know what’s going to come out of me,” I told her. “It has to be perfect. It has to be irreproachable in every way.”  
> “Why?” she said.  
> “To make up for it,” I said. “To make up for the fact that it’s me.”
> 
> Also, I made another sketch that I embedded. Enjoy the angst :)

Everything was white. The room, the bright lights over her head, and the sheets that rustled beneath her as she stirred awake, a hand that gripped hers pulling back in surprise as her eyes flew open.

“-wha?” She rubbed her eyes turning over and seeing the person who had been holding her hand as she slept.

“Oh thank Raava,” Mako leaned forward, wrapping his arms around Korra in a tight embrace. “I was so worried. Thank Raava.” Korra lay limp against him, taking in her surroundings as he pulled away. 

“What happened?” She asked groggily, rubbing her eyes.

“You passed out in the middle of your match. The doctor said it was dehydration and exhaustion.” He sat back down in the chair that was scooted up next to Korra’s hospital bed. “I’m just gonna text Bolin that you’re awake.” He informed her, looking down at his phone. 

“H-how long was I out? Where’s Opal?” Korra looked down at her arm to see an IV. Her head was pounding so badly it felt like it would burst from her skull. 

“She’s just grabbing coffee with Bo in the cafeteria. It’s around 2am. How are you feeling?”

“Agh!” Korra groaned, feeling the bruise that was beginning to form where her opponent Koza had made contact. 

“Hey, take it easy. Do you want me to get you anything? I could-” He leaned forward to touch her hand again, which she ripped away.

“Don’t.” She said, turning away from him.

“What?” Mako attempted to touch her again.

“I said DON’T!” Korra yelled, just as Bolin and Opal appeared in the doorway.

“Korra, what the hell!” Mako said severely. Opal lifted her arm to stop Bolin from entering, and they quickly backed out of the room, with Opal quietly suggesting they return back to the cafeteria. “What’s wrong?”

“You ignore me at the match where I’m obviously upset. I wake up after we HAVE SEX FOR THE FIRST TIME and you’re NOT THERE.”  _ Not to mention the shit you pulled with Asami.  _ Korra heaved, lifting herself up weakly before bursting into a fit of coughs.

“Korra, what the fuck? I’m not doing this right now. I refuse. You’re not feeling well, and-”

“THAT’S JUST IT THOUGH! You NEVER want to actually talk! I have to fucking beg you for the bare fucking minimum! Why have you been keeping so many things from me! Why did I wake up this morning and you weren’t there! You keep pulling away from me! Why?” Korra leaned back into her bed, eyes locked with Mako’s as his face fell and he grit his teeth.

“I told you, I’m not fucking doing this right now. You just passed out for hours, and you aren’t thinking straight.” Mako spat, standing up from his seat.

“I’m thinking completely clearly!” Korra said erratically, throwing off the covers of her bed and jumping off, wobbling at the sudden lightheadedness. Mako stepped forward to catch her.

“Get back in bed. Now.” He demanded. 

“Get off of me!” Korra shoved him. “Answer me! Stop trying to run away!” 

“Fine. You really want to do this right now? Fine. I needed some space, okay? I’ve never…” He paused. “I’ve never been that close to someone before. I needed some time alone to decompress and think about things.” His eyes focused on the floor.

“That’s such bullshit, Mako.” Korra grunted, slapping a palm to her pounding forehead. “Why have you been so cold? I mean, you didn’t even check on me about seeing Tahno or ANYTHING!” her voice fell at the end, tears threatening to form. “It feels like you don’t even c-“.

“I’M SORRY. IS THAT WHAT YOU WANTED TO HEAR?” Mako yelled. “I HAVE A LOT GOING ON TOO, YOU KNOW!” He got up in her face, screaming directly at her.

“NO, I WOULDN’T FUCKING KNOW BECAUSE YOU WONT TALK TO ME!” Korra shouted back. Their screams began to draw the attention of the hospital staff, who awkwardly glanced into the room as they passed by. “How do you think I felt to see you gone in the morning? Why couldn’t you have just stayed with me? It was a big deal for me, too.” And then there were tears spilling down her cheeks. Mako’s angry demeanor softened at her tears, and he felt his face fall flat again as his shoulders relaxed. “If you need space, just tell me. I keep going in blind to everything. I-I-“

Korra seethed, dropping her hand from her head. Mako’s chest began to tighten at her words. He had made a mistake. Letting someone in was a mistake. “You-you keep punishing me for things outside of our control. I don’t know what you want me to do.” He felt suffocated, as if he wanted to run away and never look back. Letting someone in meant he would eventually hurt them. He couldn’t be the perfect son, the perfect friend, the perfect brother, the perfect boyfriend, that he desperately needed to be. He took a shaky breath, meeting Korra’s burning gaze. 

“I don’t know what to say.” He felt his walls begin to crash in as he was faced with more of his mistakes.

“I want to talk to you, to try to hear your side of things and figure it out together. But you just keep shutting me out and pulling away from me. I can't keep chasing you like this. It’s like pulling teeth!” Korra’s watery eyes clouded her voice in emotion, and Mako felt his heart breaking at the sight. Another beautiful, strong woman reduced to tears because of his mistakes. 

“Just tell me how to fix it and I will! I’ll do anything you want!” Mako insisted.

“I just need you, Mako! I need you to be around me! I need you actually with me, up here!” Korra insisted, pointing to her head. “If you need space just say that! If you don’t want to see me just say that! I can’t just keep guessing and being wrong. I just need you to tell me what you’re feeling inside!” 

“I DON’T KNOW HOW!” Mako burst out. “I don’t...know how... to-to go about things in a way that won’t hurt people. It’s like, I hurt people just by existing. Because I don’t know how to deal with my own shit and It comes out at others. I didn’t mean to pull away from you. I never realize what I’m doing is wrong until someone tells me. I don’t...I don’t know how to be close to anyone. Especially you.” He stepped towards her, testing the boundary of physical touch as he leaned forward and took her hand, which she allowed. “I’m going in blind too, and I just get so anxious and overwhelmed at the thought of losing you. I end up doing the wrong thing. I keep thinking about every fucked up thing I’ve done and I’m so fucking terrified that I’ll do it to you, too. I can’t lose you. I just can’t. You’re my best friend! I love you!” He insisted. “But sometimes, I just... I get so deep inside of myself that I don’t see a way out. I don’t know how to be better, but it’s so hard for me to talk about. I hate it. I hate it so goddamn much.”

“And yet you’ve been keeping secrets from me, pushing me away when all I want is to be there for you. You pull away because you think you’re just going to end up hurting people anyways, so you might as well end things preemptively. That way, you won’t feel as bad as you would if you fuck up later on.” Korra deduced from his mess of words. “You wanted to pull away and make me upset so it would be my choice to go away. You’re just trying to punish yourself for your mistakes you’ve made.”  _ The mistakes you made towards Asami.  _ “That’s so lonely…”

“I just...I don’t know what the fuck I’m doing.”

“What you’re doing is living in the past. And at the same time, you’re jumping into things before properly dealing with what has already happened, so it messes up the situations you’re currently in. You have a complete and total disregard for those around you, mixed with a hypersensitive awareness of how you affect people negatively. It’s like it’s compulsive. And it gives you an excuse to punish yourself and isolate from the people that love you.”

“I keep fucking up. Do I push people away because I feel like I don’t deserve them? I don’t know. I just know I need to be perfect but I keep fucking everything up.” Mako shook his head, biting his lip in anguish as his eyes clouded over. “I need to be irreproachable in every way, and all I’ve done is the exact opposite.”

“What? Perfect? Irreproachable? Why? We all make mistakes.” Korra asked, willing him to explain further.

“I can’t. I have to make up for it.” Mako’s eyes began to fill with tears. Korra’s eyes sprung fresh tears in shock at the sight, and she tried to blink them away so as not to lose focus. She had never seen the man cry. Not even when he told her about his parents deaths, or the horrible things he had to do when he was homeless and starving. Not a single tear leading up to this moment. 

“For your mistakes?”

“To make up for the fact that it’s me.” 

Korra felt her heart shatter into microscopic fragments, watching as silent tears fell from Mako’s amber eyes and down onto his republic city university hoodie as he began to shake, deep sobs erupting from his chest as she wordlessly pulled him close to her. She felt as he tucked his head into her neck, which became wet with his tears as she held him tighter so that he would not break.

“Oh, Mako…” She sighed. “Everyone is entitled to make mistakes. Just like the people that are affected by them are entitled to not forgive. We’re all just learning and growing, and sometimes that means we hurt each other. “But,” Mako lifted his head, staring into her eyes. “If you love each other enough, you can fix it.”

“I’ll try harder! I promise I’ll try! Just please, don’t go away. I won’t pull away anymore, I promise.” He sobbed, gripping her tighter. Korra held him against her, trying to shush his wails and soothe her as best as she could in the moment. How long had he been feeling this way? There was so many things he had done, so many aches and pains he had caused, not just for her, but for Asami as well. And through his personal deceptions and self hatred, he was unable to properly convey his motivations and feelings towards her. He didn’t know how to be loved. Not in a way that was so unconditional without necessity. When it came to his time on the streets with Bolin, they forgave eachother out of necessity, not by fixing things. He had never learned proper forgiveness. Mako only knew a love that was all encompassing; single chances being ruined and love being revoked without a second thought. 

“Fuck. I’m sorry. I hate crying so much.” The boy lifted his head from her chest, furiously wiping at the tears that fell from his face. “Here you are in the hospital, and I manage to make it about me. I’m so sorry, Korra.” He reached forward, gently brushing her bangs from her eyes as he always did.

“I’ve never seen you cry. Not once. It hurts me that you’ve been suffering so deeply and I had no idea. I’m so sorry.” Korra bit her lip to will the new tears forming at the corner of her eyes to stop.

Mako turned away from her slightly. “I’m sorry, too. You don’t have anything to apologize for. I haven’t been a good person lately...I’ve got a lot of things that I need to work through. I thought I could do it all on my own, but I guess I can’t.” Korra reached for his hand.

“And how are you going to improve from here on out?” She asked him sincerely.

“Can we come up with a plan together?” Mako asked, interrupted as a nurse came in. 

“Hey sweetie, how are you feeling?” The woman asked Korra. Mako quickly lifted off the bed, turning to the corner to hide his tears as the nurse checked Korra’s vitals. 

“I’m just going to have the doctor check in on you, and she’ll tell you if you’re okay to go home.” Korra thanked the health care provider, who gave her a sympathetic smile before leaving. Mako turned back to face her, his eyes piercingly orange from emotion as Korra smiled at him weakly. 

“Can I stay over?” Mako asked suddenly, making his way back over to her side. 

“Really?” Korra asked in surprise. 

“Yes. I want to... be there when you wake up.” He insisted, eyes falling to the side in embarrassment. Carefully, Korra leaned forward and pressed her lips to his, her left hand gently placed on his cheek. 

“Thank you for trusting me,” Korra whispered. They would figure things out together, she was determined. Despite the uneasiness she felt, she was sure about one thing: she loved him. She wanted to be there for her best friend in any way that she could. And although she was unsure of what this meant for her and Asami, she was determined to find a solution that was best for everyone. She would be there for Asami and do her best to be there for Mako. She would figure out a way to heal things. She had too. 

After a quick check up from the doctor, Korra instructed Mako to text Bolin and Opal that they could meet them at the front of the hospital. 

“Did anyone get my stuff?” Korra asked as Mako helped her to her feet again. 

“I think Opal did.” Mako confirmed. “I’m...really glad you have a friend like her. She insisted on riding in the ambulance with you and she did all the talking with the doctors and nurses while you were out. She’s really wonderful.” 

“She is, isn’t she?” Korra said airily. She didn’t need anyone to tell her how incredible Opal was. That was something she carried with her every single day inside of her heart. After checking out properly, they made their way to the front of the building, where Opal and Bolin were chatting animatedly.  _ Maybe Opal doesn’t need any help, after all.  _ Korra smiled to herself faintly, the throbbing of her headache easing up a bit. 

“I’m so glad you’re okay,” Bolin said, yawning as he enveloped Korra into a bear hug. 

“Easy now, I’m still feeling pretty wobbly,” the watertribe girl giggled. Bolin pulled away, grinning at her lovingly. 

“Bo, I’m gonna stay over at Korra’s tonight to keep an eye on her. We’ll drive back to the school so Opal can get her car and then you can take mine h-” Mako began.

“Actually, why don’t you stay over too, Bolin!” Korra suddenly piped up. “I could really use my friends right now.” She snickered at his enthusiastic response, flashing a grin at Opal who blushed furiously.

“Sleepover!” Bolin said in a singsongy voice, turning toward the door and clapping a hand on Opals back.  _ I’m going to kill you,  _ She mouthed behind them at Korra as Bolin guided her along. Korra merely smiled, lacing her fingers with Mako’s as they walked to the car. 

“Do you have my phone?” She asked. Opal reached into her pocket and handed the device over to her, sliding beside her in the backseat while Bolin called shotgun. She opened her phone to a barrage of messages from friends and family, concerned by what they had seen on social media. She saw multiple missed calls from her parents that made her stomach drop.

“Did anyone tell my parents what happened?” Korra sighed defeatedly, worried about the repercussions. 

“Yeah, I called your dad. I convinced him he doesn’t need to come down, I think. But you should probably call to check in,” Mako confirmed.

Korra tapped through the rest of her messages, quickly responding that she was alright to several.

**Instagram**

**@asamisato: Are you okay?? I saw on the match livestream that you K.O.’d!!!**

**@korrathelegend: I’m totally fine. Thanks for checking in :)**

She knew her response was somewhat cold, but her mind was still reeling about their conversation earlier over their would-be dinner. There was some sense of obligation and loyalty that she felt toward the heiress, however, it didn’t supersede her feelings toward Mako. She wanted to find some sort of happy medium, a common middle ground where she could satisfy the needs of everyone, she just wasn’t quite sure how to go about it yet. It felt like she was being pulled in a million different directions. She wanted to be there for her friends, but did that also mean she couldn’t be there for herself? Her mind was swimming.

“Okay everyone be quiet, I’m calling my dad.” Korra said. Mako turned down the radio as they prepared to take the correct exit towards the school.

Tonraq answered on the second ring, and Korra had to pull her phone away from how loudly he was yelling.

“KORRA TELL ME YOU ARE ALRIGHT I WANTED TO BUY A PLANE TICKET RIGHT AWAY BUT THAT FIRENATION BOY TOLD ME HE WAS TAKING CARE OF YOU AND THAT OPAL WOULD WATCH OVER YOU BUT-”

“DAD!” Korra interrupted her father’s rant, and the other end of the call fell quiet as she heard her father take a deep breath. “I’m alright. It was just dehydration and stress. I wasn’t taking care of myself properly. I’m sorry to worry you.”

“Korra, you promised us that if we let you go to school in the city that you would be responsible. I don’t think-”

“And I have been! It was just a hard week. I’m sorry I haven’t been returning you or mom’s calls. I’ll be better about that, okay? You don’t need to come down. I’m coming up for the glacier spirits festival so soon, dad. I promise you I’m fine.”

“Just, I-fine.” Tonraq huffed. “Just promise me you’ll take better care of yourself, or I’m coming up there.”

“I promise, I promise. I’m sorry I worried you and mom. Is she awake?” Korra bit her lip.

“No, she fell asleep about an hour ago. She’ll be so happy to hear you’re alright.”

“Okay, I’ll call again tomorrow. I’m sorry again.”

“I love you, sweetie,” Tonraq sighed. 

“I love you too, dad. I’m on my way home from the hospital. Mako and Bolin are gonna stay with us tonight, so you don’t need to worry.” Korra breathed.

“You’re having two boys stay overnight at your apartment? Now wait just a minute young lad-”

“Ok love you bye!” Korra said quickly in one breath, hanging up her phone. Opal squeezed her hand reassuringly for the rest of the car ride, which was full of chatter from Bolin and quiet nods from Mako. Korra was overwhelmed with gratitude, the people she loved most all together like this in support of her. She could feel herself pushing her anxieties away as she looked down at Opal’s hand that firmly clasped hers. How did she get so lucky? It was around 3am by the time they reached the empty school parking lot, and everyone was exhausted. 

“Bo, why don’t you go with Opal in her car since it’s so late. I’ll just stay with Mako,” Korra suggested. 

“Oh! Good idea!” Bolin agreed. Opal rolled her eyes at Korra before shooting Bolin a nervous smile as he opened the back door for her. Korra watched carefully as they went to Opal’s car, with Bolin opening the driver’s side for her like the gentleman that he was. 

“Playing matchmaker I see,” Mako remarked as Korra clambered into the front seat, yawning deeply.

“But of course,” she replied, leaning her head on her hand. Mako waited for Opal to peel out of the lot before opening his mouth again. They sat in silence for a while, Korra’s eyes fluttered closed and Mako’s right hand gripping her thigh comfortingly before moving to grab her hand. 

“I don’t think I properly apologized before.” Mako said suddenly. The princess opened her eyes and looked over at him, her interest in his words waking her up. “I’m really, truly sorry for making you feel like I don’t care about what you’re going through. I care so fucking much, I just don’t know how to express it. I kept letting my own shit take precedence instead of being there for you. If you could tell me what you need me to do for you and make you happy, I’ll try my best to do it. I don’t ever want to make you feel that way again. I love you.” Korra’s heart panged at the sincerity of his words, and she couldn’t help but feel the slightest bit of resentment that Asami wasn’t afforded the same treatment. She hated that the heiress was popping up so frequently in her thoughts. Was it guilt? Shame? Embarrassment? She couldn’t be sure. “I promise you i’m going to learn how to express myself better, and not keep things so bottled up inside. The LAST thing I want to do is hurt you of all people.” He glanced over at her.

“Thank you…” was all she managed to get out. She leaned over, pressing her lips to his cheek comfortingly before settling back into her seat. Korra was now wide awake, and by the time they got on the road and entered the apartment, Bolin and Opal had already posted up on the couch, a random movie playing as Bolin leaned on her shoulder, snoring softly as Opal sat rigidly, afraid to disturb him. Mako and Korra quietly made their way into her room, and she immediately stripped off her uniform as Mako stood there awkwardly, the only light in the room the small bedside lamp Korra had forgotten to turn off earlier. 

“I’m so tired, but I’m wide awake at the same time.” she remarked, sitting down onto her bed and putting her hand on her head. She reached for him, and he set her bag down on the floor before making his way towards her, sitting beside her and pulling her close to him.

“I forget, do you have classes tomorrow?” He asked quietly. Korra lifted her head and shook it no, running her fingers through her hair to push it out of her face.

“Then…” Mako stood up suddenly, slipping off his hoodie and untying the belt of his uniform. “Let me show you how much I love you.” 

Korra’s heart leapt into her throat as he came back to her, leaning her back slowly and kissing her slowly. “Can I?” He breathed into her ear. She knew he was only trying to distract himself from their earlier conversation with a physical release, but at that moment she didn’t care. She needed to be close to him in any way possible. 

“Yes,” she answered. Mako clasped their hands together as he kissed her again, climbing on top of her slowly, trailing kisses down her skin as her breath became shallow. “Show me.”


End file.
